LAHORE:
Paranoia has its consequences. Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif’s refusal to trust civil servants beyond a core of a few favourites has resulted in a condition of organisational atrophy and administrative paralysis within the provincial government and even resulted in losses worth billions of rupees to the exchequer. “Sharif is a classic case of democratic autocracy,” said Rai Manzoor Nasir, the president of the Punjab Civil Service Officers Association, a union of government officials in the province.
Nasir alleges that the provincial government is run by no more than 12 officers whom the CM trusts, with the rest being transferred at whim, often without being given any reason. According to official data examined by The Express Tribune, every departmental head in the province has been transferred, on average, four or five times over the past three years .
Punjab civil servants say that the government’s rules state that each departmental head must serve at least three years in one position, a rule that does not seem to be applied by the Sharif administration. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Punjab government transfers an average of 12 senior officials every day.“I always keep at least one bag packed at all times because I never know when I will be transferred,” said one assistant commissioner who wished to remain anonymous.
Yet the constant transfers do far more than just create inconveniences for bureaucrats. It raises the cost of running the Punjab government and frequently results in policies being haphazardly applied, which ends up resulting in incomplete development projects and excess expenses that would have been avoided had the government allowed civil servants more time in one position.
For instance, by transferring officials at the frequency that it does, the Punjab government is forced to pay travel and daily allowances to officials (to which they are entitled under both federal and provincial law). This raises the cost of salaries for the government.In addition, the lack of stable leadership in government departments results in policies being applied inconsistently, which ends up costing the government more money.
For example, six months ago, the excise and taxation department confiscated about 350 vehicles from local governments across the province and auctioned them. Within two months, the department purchased 350 vehicles for its own use at a cost greater than that which it received for auctioning the local governments’ vehicles.
In another case, the Punjab government was unable to complete the Lahore to Sialkot motorway because of the government’s inability to effectively monitor costs. The project had initially been budgeted to cost Rs23 billion, but was put on hold indefinitely after the cost doubled to Rs46 billion.
Meanwhile, many senior officers are bristling at the notion that they are being forced to report to officers several years and ranks their junior. According to some officials, the government’s decision to violate rules regarding promotions and posts has caused morale to plummet within the civil service.
Other provinces are also being affected by the CM’s attitude towards governance.
The Punjab government currently has 300 federal district management group officers – the elite within the elite federal civil service – but does not need all of them. Yet it refuses to allow any of them to serve in Balochistan, which only has 19. Quetta is so desperate for DMG officers it is willing to pay double salaries for their services, but Punjab, under Sharif, refuses to let them go.
“The chief minister finds it difficult to work with officers who worked under a dictator [former president Pervez Musharraf],” said Senator Pervaiz Rashid, the Punjab government spokesperson.
The Punjab cabinet consists of 9 ministers who collectively manage 43 departments. Many provincial ministers hold up to five portfolios. The CM himself holds 14.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2011.
COMMENTS (20)
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I agree with SanaUllah Baloch, Punjab CM is much much better than other CMs. I know lot of companies and people are migrating from Sindh to Punjab due to target killing in Karachi.
We love Shahbaz Sharif
it is not comparing him with other cm,s but it is important to note that he never cares for democratic process of consultation and following rules of business in running the government .this is all dictatorial style in all it manifestations so he can not sing the mantra of mussharaf bashing .he runs his government through junior DMG and PSP officers why?coz he is not in habit of listening any reasoning at all.
He is urban feudal by mentality and run the affairs in a dictator's style. He even does not trust his elected members and gives no importance to them. His visits out side Lahore are really a big burden on Punjab treasury as he always travels with his most favorite or reliable dozen of officers. He is a media person who does not bother to waste millions of tax payers money for the sake of cutting just a ribbon.
@kamran punjab(lahore )position is better because it is receiving largest chunk of funds due to its population.
he is a thickhead .plus he got some smart ways of corruption like sasti roti scheme (worst subsidy scheme ever ) which flushed billions of dollar and now yellow cab scheme which is going to bankrupt many already struggling banks of Pakistan .
i sluite cm punjab and i pray that GOD give us a cm for nwfp like as cm punjab
@Anonymous - Do not make false statements here. The donors and the humanitarian agancies blamed that whatever they had sent to help flood effectees in suthern Punjab was looted by the CM's admisntration. At one stage the humanitarian agencies stopped working in the flood area in Punjab due to PMLn loot.
strong textAtleast he is performing, look at other provinces. Look @ Karachi Look @ Quetta Look @ Peshawar
In my opinion he is the best available administrator. Crime rates and terrorists attack are decreasing in Punjab.
Danish School, even few but some poors can get quality education. Ashiaana Homes: even few but some poors can get roof. Sasti Roti: Besides its failure but it helped some to buy bread at rs 2. Yellow Cab: very few but some poors can get a source to earn some income.
Guys look at his policies and than comment, he is not as bad as CM's of other provinces, and PM and President. Atleast he is moving around in Punjab. I still remeber the last time when he was helping teh flood stricken people in South Punjab
No one is perfect in this world every current leader have some corruption cases in there bags but reality is punjab province position in every aspect better then other province although its run by opposition party its a bitter reality
I guess we are missing the point here. Beauty of democracy lies in institution building. Trying to micromanage everything is not democratic by definition. If bureaucracy is corrupt who has to reform it????? Or if the politicians are corrupt who has to vote them out????
Accepted that Punjab government cannot reform everything but what about police and patwari system???? I can bet they would never do real reforms as they want to concentrate all the powers in their hands. After all police and patwaris are the instruments to exert power on the masses.
Obviously a strict administrator is going to be a pain for our lethargic civil servants. As if they were performing 100% before Sharif came in. Look who's talking!
Has there been a change in the editorial board of the Express Tribune? It now seems to be facing issues head on that it was once shying away from.
The CM may have 1001 short comings, but he has a long experience with this so called elite group of DMG. He knows their worth and character. For common people DMG stants for"DAKU MARKA GROUP" DMG self praise is unprecedented and self praise is a donkey’s praise. I quote from the article, "The Punjab government currently has 300 federal district management group officers – the elite within the elite federal civil service – but does not need all of them. Yet it refuses to allow any of them to serve in Balochistan, which only has 19. Quetta is so desperate for DMG officers it is willing to pay double salaries for their services, but Punjab, under Sharif, refuses to let them go. As a matter of fact Quetta does not need any one of them. It is self sufficient in its corrupt and lazy officers. Every one knows that DMG is curse for Pakistan. The sooner they are winded up, the better.
This man has robbed Pakistan and particularly Punjab with both hands. I wonder if anybody would ever be able to stop him and make him pay for what he has been doing so shamelessly.
With rampant corruption in civil services, it is wise to trust only a few tried and tested individuals. Many of these civil servants have a well known reputation of being corrupt. They are annoyed as they are not being posted on lucrative posts. There is nothing wrong with the CM and the ministers holding multiple portfolios. It is for obvious reasons of controlling the expenditure. He could have easily appointed 50 ministers and made his party members happy but then you would have done a piece criticizing him for that too!
He has plunged the province through fraud schemes such as Sasti Roti, Asiana, Danish and now Yellow Cab. When he tookover as CM, the province was in Rs. 48 billion sulplus and now due to fraud schemes and rampage loot the province stands in Rs. 300 billion debt.
His approach towards governance is more dictatorial than a military dictator. He threw away billions of tax payer money into "tandoors" and now launches housing and yellow cab schemes worth billions of rupees to favor his crooks and supporters with an eye at the upcoming elections. He keeps pointing fingers at others without looking at his own performance.
he is right and his decisions are golden. i salute you CM Punjab plz export us one CM in Sindh. others can also request.