LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Dr Hassan Askari has said that civil servants play a fundamental role in improving governance standards, help in solving the problems of the people and running the affairs of the government. Bringing necessary improvements in day-to-day affairs and dealing with emerging challenges is also the responsibility of the bureaucracy. They have to work in a professional manner to perform different assignments and the civil servants are also required to maintain the quality of service-delivery and impartiality. He expressed these views while delivering his key-note address to the administrative secretaries at Darbar Hall, Civil Secretariat on Friday. He impressed upon the secretaries to perform their responsibilities in a professional manner and added that civil servants are also responsible to take independent and impartial decisions. Implementation of different laws and rules and regulations is another responsibility and the consultative role of high officials in policy formulation is important as well, he said. Caretaker Punjab CM Dr Hassan Askari stressed for the holding of general elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner and added that role of administrative secretaries is pivotal in ensuring impartial holding of general elections. The civil servants have to perform their official duties in an honest and professional manner for maintaining complete neutrality of the upcoming elections. The bureaucracy has to work totally neutral and in a professional manner and it has to prove this thing with its performance that bureaucrats are not subservient to any individual but are loyal to the state. “I am hopeful that this duty will be fulfilled by you in an efficient manner and it would be proved that you are not inclined towards any political party,” he added. “I fully trust you and you should also have full confidence over me and nothing would be done beyond rules and regulations. I am quite optimist that you will come up to the expectations of the caretaker setup,” he added. He said that caretaker government is but for a specific period of time and is primarily responsible for holding free, fair and transparent elections. “We all have to collectively ensure holding of transparent, neutral and fair elections,” he said. Dr Hassan Askari said that public opinion will be the best judge of the performance of caretaker government and added that caretaker setup is desirous of setting such unique traditions while remaining limited to its scope of work which would be worth-following for the upcoming elected government. He said that fulfilling of this responsibility in the most impartial and professional manner will bring laurels for the bureaucracy. The caretaker chief minister Punjab said that he is convinced of decentralisation of powers at the grassroots and the provincial ministers are totally empowered. The ministers and their departments are independent in decision-making as if the CM has to decide everything then there is no need for ministers, he said. He said that authority also increases the scope of responsibilities and everyone has to work under certain rules and regulations within the legal framework. All the matters should have to be disposed of immediately and in accordance with the needs and requirements of the justice because immediate redressel of public complaints is necessary for giving them relief. Therefore, line departments should proactively work to dispose of the public complaints. He directed that all the departments should dispose of their pending matters as soon as possible under the rules because it would provide necessary relief to the citizens. A high-level meeting was held separately at the Chief Minister’s Office on Friday with Hassan Askari in the chair, where the performance of public sector companies and other issues were reviewed in detail. It was decided to close down non-active and non-operational companies in Punjab. The meeting decided that non-active and non-operational companies will be closed down after fulfilling all legal requirements, rules and regulations and after getting No Objection Certificate from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The meeting also decided that the caretaker government will extend necessary cooperation to NAB Punjab with regard to public sector companies. The meeting further decided that a comprehensive strategy will be designed to bring necessary balance in the salaries of officers and employees of public sector departments and government officers and employees posted in different companies. It was proposed to the meeting to give deputation allowance to government officers and employees posting in such companies so as to lessen the fiscal burden on government exchequer. The caretaker CM Punjab said that secretaries will give a detailed briefing to their respective ministers about such companies where public sector companies are established in Punjab government departments. Afterwards, final recommendations will be presented to the caretaker cabinet for final approval. Published in Daily Times, June 30th 2018.