LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht has formally announced that a separate quota will be allocated for the people of South Punjab region in the government jobs, to be determined on the basis of their proportion in the province’s population and that necessary amendments are being made in the related laws for the purpose.

The minister was presiding over the third meeting of the ministerial committee constituted by the chief minister to determine the powers and improve the performance of the South Punjab Civil Secretariat here, a handout said on Tuesday.

He said a separate Annual Development Programme for south Punjab would be formulated in the next budget, adding that separate publication of the region’s ADP would be ensured.

He directed the law, finance departments and the planning and development board to make amendments in the law relating to allocation of separate quotas for south Punjab and preparation of separate ADP for the region.

Mr Bakht said the Punjab government was introducing south Punjab as a separate administrative zone for uniform development in the province.

For the first time, he said, the ring-fencing of the budget reserved for south Punjab had been ensured with the cabinet’s support, adding that the establishment of a separate secretariat was its continuation.

The minister informed the meeting that all the departments related to education, health and agriculture were being represented in the South Punjab secretariat, pledging full technical assistance to all the departments moved there to improve the efficiency and to empower the new establishment.

He said establishment of a fully-fledged secretariat in south Punjab was a phased process as several factors were at work in it.

He said initially the central departments (home, S&GAD, finance etc) would function from the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Lahore, adding that the ministerial committee would decide later which of these (central) departments would be transferred to South Punjab Secretariat and when.

The minister said approval for separate quota in government jobs would also be sought from the provincial cabinet.

Other meeting participants included ministers of law, agriculture, energy, transport, livestock and the secretaries of relevant departments.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2021