Daily Times

Punjab Mines and Minerals Department (MMD) Secretary Babar Amman Babar Saturday reviewed the initiatives and achievements of the previous year.

Around 1,500 officers and officials from attached departments across the Punjab participated via video link.

During the meeting, the new initiatives and achievements were considered and important instructions were issued by the secretary to improve the performance of the department. Implementation of the orders from Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister for MMD Ibrahim Hasan Murad and the Chief Secretary from time to time was also reviewed. The participants in the meeting were told that during the last year, forty important new initiatives were taken and achievements were made.

The secretary said that the department had achieved best revenue collection targets during 2023, adding that the department collected 19 percent more revenue than its revenue target. This year, double revenue is being collected from the previous financial year, he said. Besides, a revenue plan of Rs150 billion has been made for the next three years. He pointed out that 13 billion dollars could be earned from value added export of Himalayan pink rock salt in Punjab province alone. He said that strict measures had been taken against the theft of minerals on the instructions of the Chief Minister.

In this regard, he continued, completely stopping the theft of gold particles at Attock in the Indus River was a very difficult and historic task; credit goes to the government and the entire team. Babar Amman Babar said that 173 old cases pending with the Secretary MMD had been decided on merit and the new year started with zero pendency which was a record. Decisions in old pending cases have restored investors’ confidence, he added.

In the last year, various IT initiatives have shifted the department towards digitization, automation and real-time monitoring. “SOPs have been prepared for better performance of various affairs of the department and weekly reports are regularly taken. Performance indicators have been formulated to evaluate the performance of all officers and reports are taken on a monthly basis”, said Babar. The secretary made it clear that decisions on punishment in the department would be made only on the basis of performance. He warned all officers and officials taking bribes, neglecting work, under production reporting and aiding and abetting theft might result in dismissal from service. Any officer or official could give suggestions for the improvement of the department, he said.