BAHAWALPUR, Jan 8: The Punjab Governor, Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired), on Tuesday delegated powers to district government for the appointment of medical officers.

The decision was taken after a briefing by district Nazim Tariq Cheema who disclosed that around 2,000 posts of doctors were lying vacant in the district.

The governor said maximum powers had been delegated to the Nazims and it was their responsibility to rid common man of the day-to-day hardships.

He said merit in every field was government’s top priority and days of nepotism and unfair appointments had gone by.

He maintained maximum development funds were being released by the federal and provincial governments while the funds would be enhanced for those who would utilize them properly. A sum of Rs20 million had already been released for the Bahawalpur EDO education to raise the literacy standard, he added.

Replying to a question, Mr Maqbool assured police DIG Altaf Qamar that the government would ensure completion of police network in due course of time.

He allowed Bahawalpur Rural Development Project (BRDP) director to recruit the employees locally and told him that funds at the provincial level would be released within a week.

Addressing the academics of the Islamia University, Bahawalpur, the governor doubled the institution’s grant. He announced that the Jamia Abbasia would be established at the university for promoting research on Islam. He also allotted a 5-acre tract for the Cholistan Institute of Desert Study.

LOOTED: Dacoits looted cash and jewellery worth Rs300,000 from a house here on Tuesday.