Economic Reforms and Divisional Administration in Punjab (2011-12)
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International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Research (IJECR) ISSN 2250-0006 Vol.2, Issue 4 Dec 2012 19-30 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd., ECONOMIC REFORMS AND DIVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION IN PUNJAB (2011-12): A CASE STUDY OF FAISALABAD DIVISION 1ABDUL QADIR MUSHTAQ & 2TOHIDAHMA. D 1Assistant Professor, Department of History & Pakistan Studies, G C University, Faisalabad, Pakistan 2Research Officer, Department of History & Pakistan Studies, G C University, Faisalabad, Pakistan ABSTRACT The Punjab government has made effort to restore the Commissioners in the province of Punjab so that the government policies can be implemented with great pump and show. With the down fall of the government of Gen. Pervaz Musharaf, it was the effort of the Muslim League (N) to eliminate the devolution system which strengthened the rule of the Dictator. It was declared that the Nazims misused the revenues of the government and had failed in resolving the problems of the people. So the Punjab government decided to appoint the commissioners in the divisions of Punjab and gave them the task to resolve the problems of the people and implement the government policies in effective way. This paper is the case study of Faisalabad Division which presents the efforts of the office of Commissioner for resolving the social and agricultural problems and to devise the policies for facilitating the people of the Division Faisalabad. This paper highlights the efforts of the Divsional administration in mobilizing business community in providing sizeable funds from their own pocket for execution of welfare projects aimed at ameliorating lot of the people and even extend monetary help to the down-trodden & poor segments of the society. It also presents the efforts of the Divisional administration in gathering research scholars to share the ideas, information and expertees research work and other allied resources. KEYWORDS: Economic Reforms, Pervaz Musharaf, Ameliorating, Faisalabad Division, Muslim League (N) INTRODUCTION A vast tract of desert lying between Chenab and Ravi rivers was brought under plough in the last decade of 19 th Century. With the digging of Lower Chenab Canal it became possible to irrigate this waterless waste. Colonization operations were started in 1892 and completed in 1898. This vast area was then administered from Jhang 3. In 1904 a new District named Lyallpur was created with its Headquarter at Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) a town named after Sir James Lyall, the then Lt. Governor of the Punjab. The new District of Lyallpur had four Tehsils i.e. Lyallpur, Jaranwala, Samundri and Toba Tek Singh. Hence-forth Lyallpur functioned as an independent administrative unit. It was then a part of Multan Division. In 1960 a new Civil Division was created with its Headquarter at Sargodha. District Lyallpur was then transferred to this new Division. The other districts included in this new Division were Sargodha, Mianwali and Jhang. Under an historic announcement by the President of Pakistan District Lyallpur was renamed as Faisalabad after the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia in recognition of his outstanding services to Islam and the Muslim Umma.In order to provide equal opportunities of economic growth to far flung areas of the province the Provincial Government undertook to re- organize the administrative units. Accordingly six new districts and three new Divisions were created with effect from 1.7.1982. Faisalabad witnessed two changes in the process. In the first place Toba Tek Singh Sub Division was separated from Faisalabad District and given the status of an independent district and in the second place Faisalabad itself was raised 3Jhang in local dialect means grove of trees. Jhang was invaded by the forces of Alexander the Great on his way back to Macedonia in the 4 th century BC. The city of Jhang was founded by Mal Khan Sial in 1462 AD. Sial tribe ruled this city for 360 years and the last ruler of the Sial Tribe was Ahmad Khan from 1812 to 1822 before the Sikhs took over. And from the rule of the Sikh, Jhang was taken over by the British. The District was created in 1849. 20 Abdul Qadir Mushtaq & Tohidahma. D to the status of Divisional Headquarter. The new Civil Division which started functioning with effect from 1.7.1982 is called Faisalabad Division and comprises districts of Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba TekSignh. On 01.07.2009 new district Chiniot, bifurcating district Jhang, was established and added in Faisalabad Division. Chiniot was previously Tehsil of District Jhang. On 1 st July, 2009, Chiniot was raised to the status of District and trifurcated into three Tehsils namely Chiniot, Bhowana&Lalian. Chiniot has an area of 2643 Sq. KM and an estimated population of 1.2 Million. The district is divided into 44 Union Councils. Table 1 Population Urban Rural District Area in Million % % Faisalabad 5856 7.5 43 57 Jhang 6271 2.5 24 76 T.T.Singh 3259 1.6 19 81 Chinot 2643 1.2 30 70 Total 18029 12.8 29 71 (Official Record, commissioner office, Faisalabad) FAISALABAD DEVELOPMENT TRUST (Year of Establishment 2010) There are hardly some industrial / business magnates in the country who provide sizeable funds from their own pocket for execution of welfare projects aimed at ameliorating lot of the people and even extend monetary help to the down-trodden & poor segments of the society. But the exceptions are there. It is worth mentioning that 10 eminent and enthusiastic young industrialists and top business tycoons of Faisalabad, having excellent and unblemished repute, joined hands to develop and beautify the city and render help to needy people. For this cherished objective, they constituted the “Faisalabad Development Trust” on the motivation and vision of Divisional Commissioner, Syed TahirHussain, and after framing the memorandum of article embodying the rules and by-laws, got it registered from the registrar joint stock companies, under societies registration Act, 1860. 4 Table 2 Sr No Name Designation 1 Mian Muhammad Tayyab, Tayyab Group of Industries Chairman 2 ShaiqJaved, J.K Group Vice Chairman 3 Syed Omer Shah, Hassan Limited Member 4 Ahmad Shafi, Crescent Textile Member 5 Abid Kamal, Kamal Textile Member 6 Sheikh Hassan Munawar, Azhar Corporation (Gai Soap) Member 7 NazimShahzad, Ittehad Textile Mills Member 8 Omer Farooq Khan, Pepsi Cola, Faisalabad Member 9 Muhammad WaseemMukhtar, Ibrahim Group Member 10 Muhammad Amir, Five Star Industries Member Ex.Officio 11 Commissioner Faisalabad Division Faisalabad. Member 12 Regional Police Officer, Faisalabad Division. Member 13 District Coordination Officer, Faisalabad. Member 14 District Coordination Officer, T.T.Singh Member 15 District Coordination Officer, Jhang. Member 16 District Coordination Officer, Chiniot. Member (Official Record Commissioner Office) 4 Interview “Commissioner Faisalabad” dated 4-06-12 Economic Reforms and Divisional Administration in Punjab (2011-12): A Case Study of Faisalabad Division 21 ACHIEVEMENTS 1. Face-lifting and beautification of the general bus stand Faisalabad. 2. Constructed of road dividers on Jhang road, development of grassy plots along this important road and provision of “sitting Huts” right from vegetable market, outside Jhang bazaar, up to Faisalabad Airport, which entailed an expenditure of Rupees 1.5 Million. 3. The Trust has constructed 200 houses in the “Ravaging Flood-Hit” areas of Punjab for the effected and needy people and handed them over to the Administration for allotment to the most deserving families. 4. Construction of houses in Shehbaz Town. 5. Construction of building of Faisalabad Development Trust. 6. Dispatch of 02 trucks of relief goods to the flood affectees of Sindh. 7. More than two hundred scholarships for the needy students of GC University, Faisalabad. 8. Four hundred scholarships for the students of Agriculture University, Faisalabad. 9. Contributed a lot during the dengue campaign 5 • NS1 – Kits • 2,000 • Pamphlets • 1,00,000 • Stickers • 10,000 • Survey Forms • 4,00,000 • CDs • 2,000 (Official Record Commissioner Office) FUTURE PLAN 1. Medicine counters in Allied, DHQ Hospitals and Mian Muhammad Trust Hospital. 2. Ramzan Package. 3. Green Faisalabad Project 4. Zaqat Fund for the poor students & patients. 5. Monetary help to needy persons. 6. Supply of medical equipment 7. Campaign against Dengue Virus. 8. Ambulances for the hospitals. 6 FAISALABAD RESEARCH FORUM (2011) In order to solve the problems of Faisalabad Division, Syed TahirHussain, Commissioner took initiative and established the Research Forum consisting of all the Research Oriented Institutions and its main objects were to share the ideas, information and expertees research work and other allied resources. Its regular meetings are being held in the different institutions as such all the institutions have been provided a joint forum. No Name 1 Commissioner Faisalabad Division, Faisalabad 2 Regional Police Officer, Faislaabad 3 DCO, Faisalabad 5Interview “Mian Muhammad Tayaab, Tayyab Group of Industries, chairman, dated 6-06-12. 6 Ibid., 22 Abdul Qadir Mushtaq & Tohidahma. D No Name 4 Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 5 Vice Chancellor of G.C. University, Faisalabad 6 Vice Chancellor of National Textile University, Faisalabad 7 Principal, Punjab, Medical College, Faisalabad 8 Director General, FDA, Faisalabad 9 Executive Director , NFC, Faisalabad 10 Director General Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad 11 Director General, NIAB, Faisalabad 12 Director General, NIBGE, Faisalabad 13 Director General, Faisalabad Institute of Science & Technology, Faisalabad 14 Director Pakistan Science Center, Faisalabad 15 Executive Director , FIC, Faisalabad 16 Regional Director AIOU, Faisalabad 17 Director of Education Colleges, Faisalabad 18 EDO (Education), Faisalabad 19 Incharge University of Engineering & Technology, Faisalabad (Official Record of Commissioner Office) The dengue issue engulfed the whole Pakistan and created panic within the masses. It became a challenge for the Punjab government to control it and created pleasant atmosphere. In this regard, the research forum organized the seminars for creating awareness among the people. Most of these seminars have been arranged in the Agriculture University Faisalabad.