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Women IT varsity, a distant dream
Lahore, July 08, 2008: The Punjab government is finding it hard to convert the lately
constructed Chief Minister's Secretariat into an Information Technology
University for women, as it is marred by several difficulties of divergent sorts
while primary being the fact that it was a purpose-built secretariat for the
Punjab Chief Executive.
Consequently, despite tall claims at different
levels, including political and administrative, even virtually a straw is yet to
be picked up for actualising the much-talked project, which had faced
bureaucratic resistance when baboos assert, "If it was an extravagance on the
part of the previous regime of Ch Pervaiz Elahi, then turning the Secretariat
into a university will cause yet another massive dent to the public exchequer,
as the project could cost, if not more than establishing a purpose-built
university, then at least half of the total cost spent earlier."
The
bureaucracy is of the considered opinion that after spending stupendous amount
of money on the construction of the 8-Club Road as the CM's Secretariat, now
being turned it into an IT university - an idea floated by President Pakistan
Muslim League-N Shahbaz Sharif prior to becoming Chief Minister Punjab during
the election campaign of February 18 polls - will cause a lot of wastage of the
public money considering the fact that the costly office paraphernalia will be
wasted, besides spending more money on turning the purpose-built office into
classrooms and computer laboratories.
Due to this, the idea has already run
into difficulty, and the political bosses are seeing, if not resistance, then
reservations for sure, from the administrative men of the chosen-bureaucracy.
After his oath-taking at the Punjab Assembly, Shahbaz Sharif himself alluded to
this reality, when he admitted that he had faced opposition from the
bureaucracy, but vowed to turn the Secretariat into a university
certainly.
On ground, as per sources - fearing 'wrath' from hard taskmasters
Shahbaz Sharif and Chief Secretary Javed Mehmood, no one from the officers is
ready to come on record - nothing had been for the empty building, being
labelled as 'Mughal Palace' or 'a white elephant, while the government was
paying electricity bill every month. "Secondly, even if the complex is turned
into a university, then one must bear in mind that its maintenance cost is
huge," said an officer suggesting that it could be better if the building is
turned into a state guest house for the foreign dignitaries as the government
was paying huge sums of money to hotels. "If something was to be done, then a
feasibility report should have been outlined after the formation of a committee
comprising neutral men who could have given a just decision after looking into
all the pros and cons of the project. Now the impression is being imparted that
it has come out as an emotional rhetoric because an adversary of the present
political leadership has constructed this building," he maintained.
An
officer, while pointing out the cost-effectiveness and maintenance of the
Secretariat, said, "On this three-storey building housing the offices of the CM
and Chief Secretary, and their staff, a conference hall, a meeting room, and
staff rooms, Rs 900 million were spent on the construction of the building,
while the offices' paraphernalia cost Rs 25 million. Bullet-proof glass has been
used in the CM's office as well. These things are of no use to an educational
institution, and hence would be a waste," he said further establishing his point
of view by adding that the maintenance of the building as an institute could
cost more. "Once the offices are shifted, carpets, furniture and other office
trappings are rarely used, and new things are purchased, which will be at higher
prices than the previous ones," he asserted.
Prior to the construction of
this Secretariat, the CM's staff used to be stationed at four different
locations - 1, 3, and 7-Club Road, and 90-Shaarey-e-Quaid-e-Azam. At that time,
it was thought that none of these buildings were large enough to accommodate a
Principal Secretary, five additional secretaries, eight deputy secretaries, 12
section officers, two personal staff officers and the ministerial staff, who are
part of the CM's men from the bureaucracy. Then the CM used to hold meetings at
the Civil Secretariat, and 90-Shaarey-e-Quaid-e-Azam. Later on, a spacious
conference hall was also renovated at the premises, where the PML-Q party
meetings also took place. It was decided that the scattered-CM's staff was to be
shifted to 8-Club Road. Practically, CM Punjab has five offices - 7 and 8 Club
Road, 90-Shaarey-e-Quaid-e-Azam, an office each at the Punjab Assembly, and the
Civil Secretariat, besides the residence-cum-camp office.
"Instead of keeping
the staff at one place, it is a possibility that the CM staff will be again
shifted to the other offices. If not done so, then definitely the adjoining
houses of the GOR-I will be acquired for 28 officers working with the CM, which
will be obviously done with the public money," said a senior officer suggesting
that better it would be that the CM vacates all other buildings, while keeping
only one Secretariat sans any consideration who had constructed it. "This will
definitely help save the money, if at all the purpose is austerity. Secondly, to
actualise the idea of saving public money, the CM can also focus on other areas,
like small houses for all - from the highest to lowest of the official hierarchy
including ministers and advisors," he said.
Considering the traffic
congestion, parking problem, and residential area constraints, another officer
suggested that it would be far better that 90-Shaarey-e-Quaid-e-Azam - once
Freemason Hall - be turned into an education institution. "The GOR-I Secretariat
can be cordoned off, while stopping traffic at the main artery of the city will
cause huge problems, as we are slipping into more and more precarious law and
order situation with every passing day," he averred.
"If at all an IT
university has to be constructed, then it can be done some where else, and
campus can be built according to the latest requirements, which will be cost
effective as well," said an officer maintaining that if it were a personal
vendetta, or a case of playing to the public gallery, then nothing could be done
about it.
Another officer disclosed that nothing had been done so far. "The pace, if there
any, is pretty slow, which hints at the possibility that the distant-dream idea
can only be materialised in the faint future provided proper planning is in the
offing from today," he asserted. The Nation
Your Comments
"i thaink that cm sec. should not b divrt into it uni/thanks."
Name: asif shabbir
Email: asifshabbir98@yahoo.co.uk
City, Country: khanewal,pakistan
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