Purportedly, the Punjab government’s performance is better than other provinces, but the CM Punjab wants to take it to the next level by removing shortcomings of his efficient and effective administration. For this purpose, efforts are afoot to select party loyalists among workers to be appointed as assistants to the CM who will get official cars with free fuel. These aids will be assigned duties of watching the activities of government servants at tehsil and district levels. They will pay surprise visits to field staff, receive public complaints against government functionaries, and forward the same to the CM for taking necessary action (Dawn).
This exercise appears very attractive at a glance, but on close scrutiny it appears to open new doors of corruption by favored party workers. They could blackmail subordinate staff of government employees hurling threat of submitting adverse report against them. Not being elected, they won’t be scared of public backlash also. Moreover, to appoint party workers for watching activities of officers as well as chosen public representatives not only appears to be a personalized system of governance that contradicts all norms of democracy, but also reflects trust deficit in the existing system.
This effort seems remnant of a flawed system of governance adapted by Mian Nawaz Sharif as CM Punjab in 1980’s when party loyalist were made member of market and khidmat committees. That initiative ended in a fiasco. Therefore, instead of distributing favours and privileges to party workers, it would be better for the CM to confide in government officers, appreciate their honest working and take drastic action in case of failure without any discrimination.
RAJA SHAFAAT ULLAH
Islamabad