LAHORE/MULTAN: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has approved the models of south Punjab civil secretariats in Multan and Bahawalpur, stating that both the buildings will be built on modern designs. The models have been designed by the Infrastructure Development Authority of the Punjab.

In a statement here on Tuesday, Mr Buzdar said every promise made with the people of south Punjab would be fulfilled and added that the PTI government did not believe in hollow slogans. He said the foundation stones of both the projects in Bahawalpur and Multan would be laid soon.

Claiming that a new era of development had started under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the CM said the past governments always hoodwinked the people of the south Punjab and it was badly ignored in their tenures. “The funds of southern Punjab were spent on selected districts but the incumbent government is giving the people of south Punjab their rights and their funds will be spent only there,” added the CM.

Meanwhile, the recently-established South Punjab Secretariat has requested the Punjab government for opening of fund centres/cost centres to run the financial affairs of 16 provincial departments of the Secretariat.

Eight fund centres/cost centres each would be allocated to Multan and Bahawalpur, respectively.

According to a letter written by Dr Muhammad Zeeshan, the deputy secretary (staff) to the additional chief secretary South Punjab, to the provincial secretary finance department on Sept 9, the South Punjab Secretariat’s departments forwarded requests for allocation/opening of fund centres but the districts were not finalised.

He stated that now eight departments, including law; housing and urban development; education; health; police, forest, fisheries and wildlife and agriculture had decided to make their secretariat in Multan (district) while services and general administration department; irrigation; finance; planning and development; board of revenue; communication and works and local government and community development work in Bahawalpur (district).

“It is requested that fund centres/cost centres may kindly be allocated/opened in favour of the said department. An early action in this regard is requested please,” the letter concluded.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2020