ACS South Directs Departments To Prepare Budget Proposals For Upcoming Year

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2024) Additional Chief Secretary of South Punjab, Saqib Zafar, directed all the departments of the South Punjab Secretariat to prepare budget proposals for the upcoming financial year 2024-25.

Departments have been instructed to submit details of new projects and budget proposals before February 15th.

Emphasizing the importance of impactful initiatives, Administrative Secretaries have been urged to identify at least five high-impact projects per department.

He was addressing a meeting convened to discuss budget preparation, attended by Administrative Secretaries.

Secretary Agriculture Saqib Ali Ateel, Secretary Forests, Fisheries, and Wildlife Sarfraz Khan Magsi, Secretary Services Engineer Amjad Shoaib Khan Tareen, and Secretary school Education Department Dr. Obaidullah Khokhar were present in the meeting while Secretaries from Livestock, Irrigation, P&D, board of Revenue, C&W, and Local Government joined the meeting via video link from Bahawalpur.

Saqib Zafar stressed the need for departments to propose three projects each under a public-private partnership, highlighting their potential.

He tasked the Forestry department to submit climate change control plans, while the Irrigation department was directed to focus on optimizing water resources and conservation.

He asked to include projects in the new budget to enhance agricultural production, he added.

He said that the private sector be encouraged to partner for the advancement and development of the education and health sectors and effective planning be made to focus on increasing enrollment in government schools.

He said budget proposals must outline project costs and timelines, adhering to guidelines set by the Chief Secretary Punjab, with submission to the government before February 15th.