Editorial:
In less than a year, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Quddus Bizenjo has appointed 17 coordinators. The appointment of a further three coordinators is in the pipeline. In all notifications, the Services, and General Administration Department (S&GAD) said the coordinators were appointed on an ‘honorary’ basis.
Honorary or paid, coordinators are a burden on the province facing a serious financial crisis and hardly maintaining the fragile financial condition. Chief Minister Balochistan has already appointed all 14 provincial ministers, and 5 advisers as per the 18th constitutional amendment. The question arises, what is the need for new recruitment of a crowd of coordinators? The answer is simple, this is just an attempt to please well-wishers and influentials.
Offices alloted for some coordinators
Although, the government claims to have appointed them on an honorary basis, moreover, some of the coordinators have been allotted offices. Who pays for the staff and accommodation given to the coordinators? Administration provides them with security, whenever they roam across the province. Unnecessary protocols and security have already disturbed the routine life of the people across Balochistan. When the government removed unnecessary check posts on highways throughout the province, people appreciated this step taken by Chief Minister Mir Quddus Bizenjo.
Friendly opposition should also play a role in ensuring financial discipline
Given Balochistan’s serious financial crisis, the coalition government coupled with the friendly and powerful opposition must ensure financial discipline. The government needs to reduce non-development expenditures and increase the development budget to improve the socioeconomic condition of the people.
The province is lagging behind all other provinces in terms of key social indicators including education, health, sanitation, clean drinking water, etc. The government has to focus on improving governance and reducing non-development expenditures rather than appointing coordinators on a mere political basis.
