LAHORE: The provincial government has once again extended the deadline for completion of south Punjab Civil Secretariat in Multan.

The project aimed at improving administrative efficiency and service delivery in the region, but experienced delays in its construction.

In September 2020, the Punjab government established 15 fully operational administrative departments within the south Punjab Secretariat. Alongside this, the government created 77 administrative positions, including secretaries, additional secretaries, and deputy secretaries, to oversee the secretariat’s functions.

This move was part of a broader effort to earmark 35 per cent of the provincial budget to south Punjab, with a substantial allocation of Rs3.5 billion dedicated to the construction of the Civil Secretariat in Multan.

Former prime minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the secretariat in April 2021.

The latest development came on Monday when caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi convened a cabinet meeting in Multan. During the meeting, he instructed Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman to review the progress of the secretariat.

Subsequently, Mr Zaman visited the secretariat on Tuesday to review the construction. Despite a previously fixed completion date of Aug 23, the project did not reach its conclusion.

According to the Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP), the project’s contractor, approximately 95pc of the civil work on the project has been completed, while the final finishing touches are roughly 40pc complete. The IDAP assured that the finishing work would be completed by Dec 23.

Mr Zaman, who also remained the additional chief secretary of south Punjab, directed the project contractor to meet the Dec 23 deadline.

In addition to CS Zaman, other key officials accompanying him included ACS south Punjab retired Capt Saqib Zafar, Secretary Finance Mujahid Sherdal, Secretary C&W and CEO IDAP Sohail Goraya, Secretary Services south Punjab Amjad Shoaib Khan Tareen, Commissioner Amir Khattak, and Deputy Commissioner Umar Jahangir.

Mr. Zaman also stressed the importance of landscaping around the secretariat building and said no compromise on quality would be tolerated.

During his visit, Mr. Zaman inspected various parts of the secretariat and the Government Officers’ Residences (GOR), ensuring the construction quality met the required standards.

ACS Mr. Zafar said the establishment of the offices under one roof would enhance the efficiency of administrative secretaries.

The south Punjab Civil Secretariat aims to centralise the offices of eight different departments once its construction is complete. The project encompasses a vast 504 kanal land and a budget of Rs3.5bn.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2023