Senate takes note of underpaid employees

Subcommittee formed to investigate matter

The FATA Secretariat class-VI project employees still receive only half the salary amount proposed in the federal budget. This was revealed in a Ministry of State and Frontier Region (SAFRON) Senate Standing Committee meeting which was held under its chairperson, Senator Hilalur Rehman, in Islamabad.  On Wednesday.

Lesser than minimum  

The committee was told FATA Secretariat class-VI project employees were receiving Rs7,000 as salary instead of the minimum amount of Rs14,000 outlined for labourers in the federal budget.

Senator Sitara Ayaz showed concern over the said salary package. FATA Secretariat Planning and Development Secretary Shakeel Qadir assured the committee that with the proposed reforms package for Fata, salary and other issues will be settled.

Qadir said hospitals in South Waziristan had modern health technology, but doctors were not willing to go there because of the current salary package. The K-P government had announced the allowance would not extend to the tribal areas. Senator Salih Shah also showed his concern over this matter.

The committee formed a subcommittee to handle the issue related to health and education in Fata. It also advised officials to frame the policy to raise the salaries of project employees as per policy of other federating units.  The committee also advised raising salaries of law-enforcement officials in Fata.

Placement

While talking to The Express Tribune Rehman said officials failed to answer questions raised over the transfers and postings of political agents in Fata. He said there were 55,000 employees working in Fata and they were treated under presidential order No 13, of 1972, except the political agent as this act is not employed on his transfer or posting.

He said the SAFRON committee ordered the chief secretary and other officials in K-P and Fata to revisit the order for the transfer of four PAs which was done without consent of the Fata chief executive in February 2016.  The chief secretary has been asked to implement the senate order by September 18. He said under the Constitution, the governor is the chief executive officer of Fata and all such transfers and postings come under his authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2016.