Balochistan Withdraws Deputy Commissioners’ Powers Over Cluster School Budget

QUETTA: The Balochistan School Education Department has withdrawn with immediate effect the powers earlier granted to deputy commissioners regarding the management of cluster school budgets.

According to a notification issued by School Education Secretary Lal Jan Jaffar, the January 7, 2026 notification delegating budget expenditure powers to deputy commissioners has been cancelled.

Under the revised mechanism, all procurement and utilization of funds will now be carried out through Parent-Teacher School Management Committees (PTSMC), Local Education Committees (LEC), and Local Education Procurement Committees (LEPC) in accordance with existing rules and regulations.

The notification also introduced strict measures to ensure transparency. Every cluster head has been directed to publicly display details of allocated funds for subordinate schools at the main gate of each institution.

Furthermore, schools with zero enrollment have been instructed to return their allocated funds to the finance department within 10 days. Schools that fail to complete the digital census process will also be barred from utilizing funds.

The department has additionally imposed a complete ban on procurement through quotations or informal methods, directing that all purchases must be conducted through open tender procedures.

The education secretary warned that officers and officials found involved in financial irregularities, misuse of funds, or negligence would face action under the Balochistan Employees Efficiency and Discipline Act 2011, including dismissal from service and recovery of financial losses.

The notification further stated that inactive schools would not receive any budget allocations, while District Education Groups (DEG) and District Coordination Committees (DCC) across the province would be required to submit weekly monitoring reports to the education secretary.