The Punjab government has moved ahead with a major downsizing drive, deciding to reduce the size of provincial departments and abolish surplus posts as part of a sweeping restructuring plan aimed at improving efficiency and cutting costs.
A committee led by the Additional Chief Secretary has been formed to oversee the initiative, with senior officers from the I&C and Finance Department serving as members. The S&GAD has issued a formal notification.
Officials said the committee will summon top bureaucrats from all provincial departments to identify redundant positions and recommend the removal of surplus staff.
The move marks a significant escalation of an earlier effort initiated soon after the June 2024 budget, when Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif constituted a 14-member high-level committee to prepare downsizing recommendations.
Local media reports suggest that several government employees may lose their jobs as the Punjab government prepares to shut down multiple public institutions considered redundant or inefficient.
The restructuring plan targets departments and agencies described as loss-making or duplicative, with proposals to merge overlapping entities and reduce the overall number of ministries.
Officials said that the overhaul will create a more streamlined governance model; concerns persist within the bureaucracy over the likelihood of layoffs as institutions are merged or phased out.
According to government estimates, the exercise could yield savings worth billions of rupees, offering much-needed fiscal space at a time of financial strain.
The chief minister has already approved the restructuring blueprint, paving the way for what may become one of the province’s most extensive administrative reforms in years.
