Division bosses to hear complaints against govt authorities: CS

Statement is issued after a meeting of chief secretary with a delegation of traders

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman Khan, as per the official statement and according to its media office, has empowered divisional commissioners to hear complaints about provincial authorities especially regarding Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA). However, the CS media office later failed to clarify the meaning of the statement when asked whether it meant making commissioners an appellate authority for all authorities.

The said statement was issued after a meeting of chief secretary with a four-member delegation of All-Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran led by Secretary-General Muhammad Naeem Mir, at the Civil Secretariat on Friday. During the meeting, Mir told the CS that traders were kept out of the process of price determination that takes place at deputy commissioners’ office and they have reservations over it. CS Suleman said reservations of the traders’ community about price determination would be addressed to ensure a sufficient supply of daily use items at the prices fixed by the government.

The chief secretary assured the delegation that in future the deputy commissioners and traders’ representatives would work together to fix the prices of commodities and for this purpose, a joint meeting would be held after every 15 days.

He mentioned that the rate list should be issued to media after fixing prices with consensus and divisional commissioners would act as an appellate authority in case grievances of traders are not addressed at deputy commissioner level.

Azam Suleman said the government would allay concerns of traders regarding price control mechanisms.

Traders’ demand to bifurcate price control and price determination committees was accepted in the meeting.

The chief secretary said traders’ complaints about the government departments, especially the Punjab food and Punjab revenue authorities, can now be presented to the divisional commissioners.

Director Public Relation to the chief secretary initially explained that the commissioners have been empowered to hear complaints against the said authorities. When asked did it meant, commissioners were made appellate forum for authorities like PFA, she said that commissioners have been made appellate authority to listen to the grievances of the traders, as it would further improve the working of the government authorities.

Several government officers remained clues regarding the aforesaid orders. When the DPR to CS was confronted again with the prevailing confusion amongst concerned officers regarding the issuance of such orders, she said her office was not sure if it meant making them the appellate authority but it was clear that CS has authorised commissioners to hear complaints.

When asked again, that in what capacity would the commissioners hear the complaints of traders officially without being made an appellate forum, it was said that they would clear the confusion by Saturday.

When Punjab Food Authority Director General Irfan Nawaz Memon was asked regarding the matter, he said he had only heard about it through media, but has not seen any written orders. He said it was the prerogative of the government to make a commissioner appellate forum for PFA.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2020.