Governor hints at ordinance against blocking official files

LAHORE:Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has hinted that an ordinance may be promulgated to hold officers accountable for delaying official files for more than five days. “I will try to convince the prime minister and chief minister for the promulgation of the ordinance as early as possible,” he said.

The governor stressed that the bureaucrats must perform their duties actively for the progress and prosperity of the country. He said that it was his life dream and objective to ensure safe drinking water for the masses, who were still being denied of this basic human need and contracting life-threatening diseases. Lamenting that the number of new coronavirus-positive cases have started surging, the governor said the government would be left with no option but to impose lockdown with strict restrictions.

He was speaking to the media and addressing a ceremony organised to distribute ration among poor rickshaw drivers in collaboration with the King Salman Relief Centre and Hayat Foundation at Governor’s House on Wednesday.

King Salman Relief Centre deputy director Muhammad Yousaf, Hayat Foundation’s Muhammad Shahzad, Governor’s political secretary Mian Kashif Iqbal, Awami Rickshaw Union president Majeed Ghauri, social worker Pir Nazim Shah and others were present on the occasion.

Speaking to media persons, the governor said the Punjab Development Network had provided ration to over 570,000 poor families since the coronavirus pandemic started showing its wrath in Punjab. He also acknowledged the services of Akhwat Foundation, Sarwar Foundation, Sheikh Ijaz Trust and some 60 other social welfare organizations for providing ration to poor families and PPEs (personal protection equipment) to doctors in these hard times.

Replying to a question, the governor said the whole bureaucracy was not incompetent but a few black sheep that create hurdles in the smooth functioning of the official working and providing relief to the poor masses. He said that he would soon talk to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and suggest promulgating an ordinance to push government officers not to block official files for months and months in their offices but move them within five days. “Blocking of a file in an office does not affect a person but the whole department, which is unacceptable,” the governor said. “Since I have expressed my strong reservations against some bureaucrats, different senior officers have contacted me and assured that the Aab-i-Pak Authority work will be executed at a faster pace and all issues including PC-I be completed soon,” Chaudhry Sarwar said. After the completion of official working, the governor said the Aab-i-Pak Authority would start installing filtration plants and provide safe drinking water to poor masses. The governor regretted that people had thronged bazaars and markets without protective measures as soon as the government eased down restrictions in the lockdown. He said this situation would come out to be very serious for the whole nation and government would be compelled to re-impose strict lockdown to save people from contracting coronavirus.

Awami Rickshaw Union president Majeed Ghauri thanked the governor as well as other organisations that supported hundreds of poor rickshaw drivers in this hour of need. He also demanded that the government should allow the rickshaw drivers to begin their service while observing laid down SOPs and earn their livelihood and run their households.

Tevta: Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) Chairperson Ali Salman Siddique called on Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar in the Governor House and briefed him about Tevta efforts vis-à-vis fight against Covid-19.

According to a press release, he also presented corona protective kits prepared by Tevta, comprising medical masks, face shields, gloves and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the governor.

Giving details, Ali Salman said Tevta had made more than 60,000 medicated masks, 1,000 gloves, 500 face shields, 2,635 sanitizers, 600 PPE which have been distributed to district governments across Punjab. Moreover, five walkthrough sanitizer doors while splitter valves for ventilators had also been manufactured employing use of state-of-the-art 3D printing. Ali Salman Siddique said that Tevta also contributed Rs7.2 million to the Chief Minister’s Corona Fund while Rs6.3 million had been contributed towards Tevta’s Corona & Ration Fund.