Austerity measures: KP govt issues guidelines to departments

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, with the approval of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has issued additional guidelines to all the government departments regarding austerity in POL, repair and maintenance of vehicles and other expenditures of government machinery.

An official communique said these additional guidelines have been issued as another important step under the provincial government’s austerity policy already in place.

In this regard, it added, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat has issued formal letters to the chief secretary and administrative heads of government departments for strict compliance with the guidelines at all levels.

According to the guidelines all types of meetings/ review meetings under the chairs of chief secretary, additional chief secretary and inspector general police, which requires the presence of Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, RPOs and DPOs shall be convened through secure video links.

Similarly, all types of internal/departmental meetings under the chairs of administrative secretaries which require the presence of district officers, shall also be convened through video links. Moreover, all types of meetings under the chairs of commissioners and RPOs which require the presence of DCs/ ACs, DPOs/DSPs shall be convened through video links.

“Heads of all attached formations, autonomous/semi-autonomous bodies, development authorities, etc. shall also follow the same guidelines in letter and spirit,” said the communique. However, all operational duties, ambulatory services, field inspections, court hearings, inauguration/ground breaking events and other matters of exigencies are exempted from the guidelines, it added.