BAHAWALPUR: The shifting of all government departments along with official record of South Punjab from Lahore secretariat may take three months.

This was stated by South Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Zahid Akhtar Zaman here on Thursday while addressing a meeting at his office at Circuit House.

The ACS said after completion of the shifting of official records from Lahore, the South Punjab secretariat may be made completely functional within the next three months.

Mr Zaman said in the beginning each of the local government department would be responsible to make provision of [office] accommodation for the respective incoming officers and other staff members from Lahore in their own offices. However, for the accommodation of some of the South Punjab government offices here, buildings would be acquired on rent.

He said the construction of South Punjab civil secretariat complex and the residences for the officers and their staff members would be taken in hand soon.

According to an official handout, the ACS said he would have his offices both at Bahawalpur and Multan where all matters pertaining to this area would be resolved.

He said paperless technology through the software of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) would be introduced for expeditious working and ensuring transparency.

POACHERS HELD: The wildlife department claimed to have arrested two poachers and recovered [hunted] rare birds from their possession.

Bahawalpur Division Deputy Director Zahid Ali told Dawn that citizen Muhammad Tahir and Shaaban of Yazman were nabbed in the Sardroowala bungalow area on Yazman Road. The raiding party recovered 22 Indian Sandgrouse worth thousands of rupees from their possession.

The deputy director said two hunters Murtaza Tatla and Zulfiqar Bhutto caught at an outhouse in Khanpur area of Rahim Yar Khan the other day, were fined Rs300,000 for illegal hunting in Cholistan area after the recovery of a slaughtered deer and other birds from their possession.

LOCUSTS: The divisional administration has identified six places to carry out pesticides spray to eliminate breeding of locusts.

Commissioner Asif Iqbal Chaudhry said during a meeting on Thursday that Nawabkote, Sorian, Gonia, Balota, Mando and Mattan had been identified for spray and 28 vehicles would be provided for the task.

The commissioner directed to set up control rooms at the offices of Cholistan Development Authority (CDA) and the Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan deputy commissioners to monitor the breeding of locusts.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2020