LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led Punjab government’s administrative decision to create a separate secretariat for south Punjab is set to face a volley of challenges ranging from various departments’ administrative control within southern territory to a workable bifurcation of jurisdiction and “regionalisation” of service cadre.

To fulfill its commitment to create a ‘South Punjab province’ made in its manifesto, the PTI-led Punjab government has administratively separated the province’s three divisions – Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan -- with a split secretariat -- one at Multan and other at Bahawalpur -- the two divisional headquarters.

Though the administrative decision has come after two years of the party coming into power, the PTI government has failed to decide where to house the southern secretariat, eventually spliting it in two, apparently bowing to pressures exerted by political stalwarts within the ruling party. The split secretariat may again test the nerves of people, who will become a shuttlecock between the seven departments in Multan and the additional chief secretary (South) office in Bahawalpur.

It is learnt that the ACS (South) will be exercising all powers of the chief secretary within his jurisdiction and all the relevant files will route through his office. He, however, will not act as secretary to the Punjab cabinet, a role reserved for the Punjab chief secretary seated in Lahore.

Of the 15 departments created in south Punjab by amending the Rules of Business, the government has placed seven departments at Multan divisional headquarters and eight at Bahawalpur. The police head office for south has also been placed at Multan.

The government has so far posted 10 administrative secretaries, giving two of them additional charges of their departments’ new formations in south Punjab. The remaining five secretaries are yet to be posted.

The post of additional inspector general (South) has also fallen vacant after the elevation of Inam Ghani as Punjab IGP on Sept 8.

All other administrative secretaries are running from pillar to post since August 31, when they were posted in south Punjab – with a double salary package.

“The biggest challenge we are facing is to find offices to begin functioning without disrupting the existing system,” a secretary posted in south Punjab told Dawn.

While the administrative secretaries are busy settling down, the respective departments’ secretaries in Lahore and south Punjab have begun mulling over finalising the “allocation of business”. A summary in this regard is expected to be moved shortly, it is learnt.

A major decision concerning the respective administrative secretaries’ control over their departments’ employees, who are currently serving in all Punjab provincial cadre for the maintenance of their seniority and promotions, is yet to be taken.

Suggesting “regionalisation of service cadre”, an administrative secretary said that the finance department should create south Punjab cadre and the secretaries posted in southern setup should prepare their respective departments’ seniority lists and decide transfer posting and promotions matters independently. They should prepare working papers for even promotions to BS-20.

“Creation of the south Punjab cadre is necessary, otherwise, the whole exercise of creating the south Punjab secretariat will be rendered futile,” he said.

The secretary suggested that the provincial cadre employees in all departments, including health and education, should be offered a choice to either join the ‘south Punjab service’ or remain attached with the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Lahore. Those not joining the South Punjab secretariat service should be considered to be on deputation until they get transferred, he added.

Sources say that to avoid confusion, the administrative secretaries in Lahore and those in the south Punjab administrative setup have decided not to touch the entities and projects being dealt with at the federation and province level.

Citing an example, an administrative secretary said the jurisdiction of dealing with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and admissions to undergraduate medical and dental colleges in the province would remain with the specialized healthcare and medical education department in Lahore and so would

be the case with the foreign-funded projects and province-wide projects, including EPI regime, TB Control, AIDS control and dengue control programmes.This might cause complexities for the stakeholders, he apprehended.

Similarly, while five departments were carved out of the consolidated education department in the late 1990s, the Punjab government has created one consolidated education department in south Punjab. As the government has yet to posted education secretary for south, it is yet to be decided whether the education department in south will deal with the higher education, school education, special education, technical education and literacy & non-formal basic education departments under one umbrella or not.

Another secretary posted in south says the respective departments in south should have separate budgets and unhindered flow of funds to be able to function independently.

“The finance secretary in Lahore should transfer one line budget to his counterpart in south to run the affairs independently and effectively (in south Punjab),” the secretary said.

In the next financial year, the secretary suggested, the province-wide projects should also be sliced and the respective secretaries should look after the same in their respective jurisdiction.

“[A strategy for] The service matters and development works need to be evolved and a clear-cut division of work be planned, if the government wants the south Punjab administrative setup to function smoothly,” he said.

The Punjab government is yet to post administrative secretaries of education, Board of Revenue, communication and works, wildlife and fisheries and irrigation departments.

Punjab information minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan did not respond to different questions sent to him regarding the working of south Punjab secretariat.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2020