Interim CM goes hard with ghost pensioners, workers

Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has directed the finance departments to introduce reforms in the treasury to delist the ghost pensioners, doctors, teachers and other such ghost workers who are on papers only and are not seen at workplaces.

Such ghost people are the burden on the provincial kitty, the CM said and directed the finance department to start an exercise to frame recommendations for the Provincial Finance Commission Award so that the upcoming elected government could announce it at its outset.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of the finance department at theCM House on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Planning and Development Department Chairman Shakeel Manejo, Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi, special secretaries - Tariq Shah, Shahmir Bhutto, Nisar Memon, and other officers concerned.

The finance secretary briefed the CM about the functions and responsibilities of the finance department.

Treasuries

The CM pointed out growing complaints of corruption in the treasuries where the officers not only create problems in releasing pensions to the genuine pensioners but also run a system under which payments to ghost pensioners are pocketed.

The CM said that most of the retired employees run from pillar to post to receive their gratuities and pensions. He directed the chief secretary to ask all the deputy commissioners to hold open kutcheries along with the representatives of the finance departments to verify the pensioners and delist the ghost employees.

The CM directed the finance department to introduce automation system so that pensions and other payments could be released through a digitalized system on time. The secretary finance assured the CM that an automation system would be introduced.

The CM was informed that 17.7 per cent of the total budget - Rs2.282 trillion - was the current revenue expenditures in which 14 per cent of funds were consumed in pensions.

PFC

The chief minister was also informed that Rs30 billion was required to fulfil the additional funding of the local council due to a 50 per cent increase in their monthly share.

At this, the CM said that the formation of a Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) was a need of the hour. He added that two provincial assembly members were required on PFC therefore it would be completed after general elections.

He directed the finance department to start an exercise to firm up recommendations for the PFC award so that the next elected government could implement it at the start of its tenure.

Justice Baqar directed the finance, P&D, and Sindh Local Government Department to guide local bodies on how to generate funds instead of depending on the provincial government grants.

Ulemna meet CM

Later, presiding over a joint meeting of Ulema and divisional administration of Karachi, the CM finalised the arrangements for 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal. The 36-member delegation of Ulemaof different schools of thought included Mufti Muneebur Rehman, Zubair Ashraf Usmani and Allama Razi Jaffer Naqvi.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2023.