Buzdar approves revamping of DGPR

LAHORE:Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved revamping the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR).

The chief minister accorded this approval while addressing a meeting attended by Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, chief secretary, Planning and Development chairman and DGPR to review the future roadmap.

The chief minister approved procurement of two Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) vans along with the establishment of a state-of-the-art studio while four directorates would be technologised to meet the modern day needs. The print media, electronic media, digital media, administration, advertisement, press laws, IT and legal sections will be re-jigged and all the directorates will be provided with the latest information and communication technology tools to optimally perform, the meeting decided. It was further decided, in principle, to give 25 percent special allowance to officers against their basic salaries.

The chief minister directed that cabinet standing committee for finance and development would give final recommendations after a detailed review. He approved monetisation policy for DGPR employees to procure leased vehicles from the Bank of Punjab. He directed that estimates of modernisation and improvement in DGPR building be collected from Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab to bring it up to code.

The participants also deliberated over the proposal of a Media Tower's construction in the DGPR department through a public-private partnership. The chief minister directed prudent consultation before initiating the proposal of the chief minister’s internship programme for young media graduates.

The multifarious importance of DGPR department has increased and every sort of resources will be provided to modernise the department for meeting the emerging challenges of the 21st century. The ICT boom has brought an ever-increasing globalised information revolution; that is why, good command over dexterous use of digital media and IT tools is imperative for DGPR officials, he said and added that the department would be revamped to meet the electronic and social media challenges. Earlier, secretary information briefed the meeting about department’s performance and modernisation plans.

PARLIAMENTARIANS: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Wednesday said the PDM had been entrapped in a political blind alley as the masses have put an end to negative politics.

After the failure of resignation-threat, the long march call will also end in a fiasco as rejected cabal cannot cheat the people, he stated. He was talking to a delegation of parliamentarians which called on him here and apprised him about the problems of their constituencies. The CM issued directions for the solution of constituency-related problems while pointing out that women parliamentarians were always included in the consultation process.

Usman Buzdar said he did not believe in a one-man show and supported the philosophy of teamwork. The women MPAs will be given their due rights as no society can progress without practical participation of its womenfolk, the CM added and stressed women empowerment was an important mission of the PTI government. The CM emphasised that the scope and volume of work done in two and a half years was far better than the performance spanning over 30 years.

Regrettably, the opposition did not refrain from the agenda of negative politics in the corona pandemic as the people have rejected their political corruption, he added. The timely decisions made by the PTI-led government have been globally acknowledged while the opposition continued to create jangling discords for the sake of promoting its petty politics, he continued. The opposition will face defeat in the upcoming Senate elections and PTI candidates will achieve success.

MPAs who met him include Sadia Sohail Rana, Sumaira Ahmed, Rasheeda Khanum, Mahindar Pall Singh, Muhammad Naeem Ibrahim, Muhammad Amir Anayat Shahani, Mehr Aslam Bharwana, Ch Faisal Farooq Cheema and a host of other parliamentarians.

report: Usman Buzdar has sought a report from RPO Faisalabad about an incident of throwing acid on three siblings of a family. He has directed to early arrest the criminals along with the provision of best treatment to the injured children.

condolences: The chief minister has expressed sorrow over the loss of precious human lives in a road accident near Khushab and extended sympathies to the bereaved families. He also sought a report from the administration and directed the officers concerned to provide the best treatment to the injured.