Interaction: Officials told to respond to social media queries

CM Shahbaz Sharif is also scheduled to respond to public queries sent as video messages on Facebook on November 23

LAHORE:

The government departments have been directed to monitor public discussions on social media and respond to citizens’ queries.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is also scheduled to respond to public queries sent as video messages on Facebook on November 23. CM’s office has set up Facebook and Twitter accounts for the public to highlight their issues.

The Services and General Administration Department issued a notification on November 3 directing administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners and district coordination officers to address public problems raised on social media.

Marked as “top priority”, the notification asked the officials concerned to consider it an “immediate matter”. It says the chief minister has started interacting with the public through Facebook. “People post their problems on his page, replies are submitted by the department concerned,” it reads.

The document directs officials to submit responses to the queries in Urdu in the first person. “It must be perused and vetted personally with the signature of the secretary concerned,” it says. It does not specify the officials to be tasked with monitoring and answering.

The Higher Education Department (HED) has written a letter on November 9 asking deputy secretaries, the director public instructions (colleges), directors (colleges) and universities to comply with the notification.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd,  2015.