Punjab govt to replace section officers with ‘skilled professionals’
LAHORE: After abolishing 128 BS-17 posts of section officers, the Punjab government is now pushing its administrative departments to rebuild their workforce by inducting specialists in the fields of law, finance, IT, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis, instead of stuffing the ranks with traditional bureaucrats. In a directive to all departments, Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS)…
LAHORE: Following the dismissal of 128 BS-17 section officer positions, the Punjab government is now transforming its workforce by hiring specialized professionals in law, finance, IT, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analysis. Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Iftikhar Ali Sahoo announced a series of initiatives aimed at e-Filing, Office Automation System (e-FOAS), Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), and a shift in the functioning of the Civil Secretariat.
To enhance the human resource capabilities in administrative departments and attached departments/formations, the ACS has directed departments to identify skill gaps and engage short-term consultants under the Punjab Procurement Rules to bolster staff proficiency in specialized fields, such as legal advisory, financial management, investment facilitation, strategic communication, data analysis, and artificial intelligence.
The finance department is tasked with facilitating the transition, with costs to be charged to the head under "Payments to Others for Services Rendered." ACS instructed all administrative departments to reassess their human resource needs in line with these emerging skill sets and enlist qualified professionals or consultants on a short-term consultancy basis, as outlined in Rule 46 and Rule 46-A of the Punjab Procurement Rules, 2014.
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