Balochistan Chief Minister, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, has directed local government representatives to closely monitor the attendance of teachers, doctors, and employees in line departments across the province.
He issued this directive during a high-level meeting reviewing the progress of the Public Sector Development Program and ongoing governance reforms.
The meeting was chaired by the chief minister and attended by Provincial Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Hafiz Abdul Basit, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Zahid Saleem, Principal Secretary to the CM Baber Khan, and secretaries from all departments.
During the meeting, detailed reviews were conducted on the progress, completion, and reform measures within service delivery systems of development projects.
Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan briefed participants on recent governance improvements, noting that out of 3,400 closed schools in the province, 1,400 have now been reopened.
He added that with the recruitment of new teachers under the School Education Department, an additional 1,800 schools are expected to become operational by the end of this month. The remaining 200 schools will be reopened in the third phase.
Secretary of Education, Saleh Muhammad Nasar, informed that appointment orders for teachers recruited on merit will be issued by April 18.
Expressing serious concern over absenteeism in government departments, the chief minister ordered strict action against habitual absentees. He stressed that such negligence is unacceptable, especially in rural areas where the public suffers due to officials' absence from duty.
Bugti instructed departments to compile detailed reports on absenteeism and governance challenges, along with recommendations for improvement.
Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development, Hafiz Abdul Basit, noted that following previous directives, the pace of expenditure and progress on development projects has significantly increased. He stated that 90% of the projects are expected to be completed by next month.
Chief Minister Bugti emphasized that, for the first time, there has been notable progress on development projects in Balochistan. He said that long-delayed projects would be completed within the current financial year through the timely release of funds, thereby reducing their long-term financial burden.
He also pointed out that delays in fund disbursement due to bureaucratic hurdles often lead to cost escalation, and such issues must be resolved. The Chief Minister warned that construction companies showing sluggish progress would be blacklisted. Additionally, departments failing to utilize allocated resources on time would face strict accountability.
He reiterated that while it is the government's role to formulate policy, the responsibility for effective implementation lies with the officers.
During the meeting, CM Bugti also directed the launch of a standard public transport system and ordered the swift completion of the Mangi Dam project to ensure timely water distribution.
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