Taking a strong administrative measure aimed at lowering the financial burden on the provincial kitty, the Sindh government has merged at least eight different departments, bringing the total number of departments to 39 from the earlier number of 47, but the process might prove to be a financial burden, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The authorities had been working on the said proposal since 2010, however, the plan could not be materialised as the former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government had to adjust its coalition partners under the reconciliatory politics introduced by President Asif Zardari.
The proposal was once again brought under consideration after the the new chief secretary Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry took charge of the office.
In this regard, the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department issued a notification No WORl (SAG&CD) 2-4/2013 (Restructuring) dated July 22, 2013, a copy of which is exclusively available with Pakistan Today, stated as follows: “In pursuance of the provisions of clause (3) of Article-139 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, the Government of Sindh is pleased to make the following amendments in the Sindh Government Rules of Business, 1986.”
The new departments of the Sindh government included: agriculture, supply & prices department; auqaf, religious affairs, zakat and ushr department, board of revenue, (revenue department, land utilization, relief department), chief minister’s secretariat, coal and energy department, cooperative department, culture, tourism & antiquities department, energy except coal energy department; excise, taxation & narcotics department, finance department, food department, forest, environment & wildlife department, Governor’s Secretariat including military secretary wing, higher, technical education & research department, home department, information & archives department, information, science & technology; industries & commerce department, irrigation department; katchi abadies department, labour & human resource department, law parliamentary affairs & human rights department, livestock and fisheries department, local government, rural development, PHE & HTP; mines & mineral development department, minorities affairs department; planning, development & special initiatives department, population welfare department, primary health (BHU, RHC and vertical programmes) department, rehabilitation department, secondary health (rest of health), school education department (up to matriculation), Services, General Administration & Coordination department (Services, GA, I&C & IPC wings), social welfare department, special education department, sports and youth affairs department, transport & Mass Transit Department, women development department; and works & services department.
