MPAs pass resolution to give lower staff permanent jobs

KARACHI: Sindh’s legislators unanimously agreed to give permanent jobs to the lower staff of the education department but confusion over the resolution led to a little unpleasantness.

During the Sindh Assembly session on Friday, MPAs of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) moved the resolution but while the MQM wanted to hear an announcement immediately, the PPP insisted on following the rules.

The resolution said that the Sindh government “may consider sympathetically to provide regular employment to 7,187 lower staff — employed on contract for three and a half years — under the Sindh Civil Servants Act 1973. It was moved by the PPP’s Kulsoom Chandio and Anwar Mahar, MQM’s Syed Wasim Hussain and Moin Pirzada and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s Nusrat Saher Abbasi.

MQM’s Sardar Ahmed pointed out that the regularisation announcement may not take place immediately since the chief minister was not in the house. Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, who is also a member of the committee formed to oversee the regularisation, replied that the CM had to leave for Khairpur. He assured, nevertheless, that the employees will be regularised after the education department advertises vacancies and conducts tests.

Later, the MQM’s deputy parliamentary leader Faisal Subzwari agreed that it is difficult to regularise these workers directly given the Supreme Court’s decision against contractual employment. He told The Express Tribune that, “I think the grievance of the government is genuine but I can assure you that the issue will be resolved amicably.”

Amendment to Public-Private Partnership Bill

The assembly passed a unanimous bill to amend the Sindh Public-Private Partnership Act 2010. According to it, the finance minister will be vice-chairman of the Public-Private Partnership Board, the law minister will be a member along with two other MPAs, who will be nominated by the CM. The 11-member board was established last year to mobilise private sector resources for financing, construction, maintenance and operation of infrastructure projects.

Since there was no competent authority to nominate the two MPAs, the CM used his discretionary powers to appoint PPP MPA Dr Ali Ahmed Shah as one of the members.

Policeman occupies temple in Thatta

Culture Minister Sassui Palijo informed the house that a policeman has encroached on the Nehal Darya Temple in Thatta and that her department has directed the district administration to take action. The proposed alignment of the road passing through Moen jo Daro by the National Highway Authority has been postponed, she added.

Once the archaeology department is devolved from the centre, a list of historical sites will be compiled. “We have made a bill, which will be tabled soon,” she said.

Palijo said that Mohatta Palace is under the control of Mohatta Palace Museum Trust but the federal and provincial governments are paying for its renovation and expansion. “We have provided Rs15 million while the federal government has given Rs25 million,” she said.

Attendance register

During the session, Law Minister Ayaz Soomro requested the speaker to move the attendance register to another place. “It is not good that honourable members come and sign in front of all the people,” he said. All the members raised their hands in agreement, after which the speaker explained that the register was placed inside the hall to discourage members from coming late. “We can move it to the lobby till the biometric system is installed,” he said. The session was adjourned till Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2011.