QUETTA: Balochistan`s chief secretary has directed the authorities concerned to take measures for filling thousands of vacancies before expiry of the deadline.

A meeting of the Secretaries Committee on Friday, presided over by Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattha, was informed that funds for more than 35,000 vacant posts in government departments would lapse if these were not filled within six months.

The province is going through an employment crisis and thousands of degree holders were out in search of jobs.

The Public Service Commission had, after a lapse of six years, recently held competitive examinations for 94 vacancies of assistant commissioners, section officers and Patwari. Over 20,000 candi-dates took the examinations.

The meeting reviewed matters relating to computerisation of government employees payroll and the system of application and production (SAP).

Mr Chattha expressed concern over ghost employees and `double jobbers` workers drawing salaries from two departments.

`Double-salaried employees are causing a wastage of resources and unemployment in the province,` the chief secretary said.

He said computerisation of the system would expose a large number of employees and help the government in taking action against such elements.

Saifullah Chattha told all secretaries to ensure formation of monitoring committees in their departments.

`These committees should work together with monitoring committees of the finance department to trace ghost employees and those drawing double salaries.