Balochistan earthquake: AJK govt employees to donate one-day salary

Chief secretary says efforts afoot to overcome non-development expenditures.

MUZAFFARABAD:

All employees of the Azad Jammu and Kahsmir government will donate a day’s salary to the Balochistan earthquake victims. This was stated by AJK Chief Secretary Khyzer Hayat Gondal on Wednesday. Talking to journalists, he said that the AJK government was making all-out efforts to overcome non-developmental expenditures to divert resources to the developmental sector.

Answering a question, the chief secretary claimed that a majority of AJK government officials were honest, however, he warned that if corruption on the part of officials was brought to his notice, he would order investigation against such officials.

He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be apprised of top priority areas which needed the government’s attention during the latter’s visit to the region next month.

Gondal said that all projects, particularly under-construction roads, bridges, schools and hospitals in earthquake-hit areas, would be completed before the 2015 deadline.



Gondal said that the AJK earthquake victims, who have not yet received the remaining instalments of compensation, would be given priority to clear their dues by the end of this year.

While talking about mismanagement and nepotism in the AJK Public Service Commission, he said that its management should run it professionally and impartially without compromising on merit.

“We cannot build new departments every time as we have limited resources and it is high time the existing government departments show result-oriented performance.

“No doubt, there are departments which eat up public resources without showing performance and they are a burden on the exchequer,” said Gondal, adding that if such departments will have to show performance.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2013.