Lawmakers grill govt over ‘false replies’
A file photo of Punjab Assembly in session. PHOTO: ONLINE
Treasury lawmakers joined the opposition in grilling the provincial government in Punjab Assembly on Thursday over not taking measures to restrain departments from sending false information in response to their queries.
As the question and answer session started, the lawmakers put queries about the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. Responding to a question by PPP’s Shazia Abid regarding unavailability of specialist doctors in Rajanpur, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid admitted that doctors avoided going for duties in villages. The health department faced a lot of problems in appointing doctors in the villages, she said. However, she claimed there are 70 doctors available out of 84 posts, while the deficiency will also be overcome.
New Punjab Assembly Building inches a step closer to finish line
Meanwhile, PML-N’s Malik Arshad drew attention of the House towards an alleged wrong answer which the department had sent. No medical equipment had been awarded to Rural Health Centre (HRC) Kamir Sahiwal but the department was giving a report that everything was okay, he said.
On a point of order, PTI’s Saeed Akbar Nawani grilled the government over false answers being given by different departments. “Every question is being challenged in the House and this practice needs to be stopped,” he maintained. He said he had been observing for 35 years that the departments used to reply to the questions asked by the lawmakers in a non-serious manner. It is a clear evidence of a department’s negligence that every question is being challenged, he said.
As the minister said the government would conduct an inquiry if an answer is false, MPA Nawani alleged that the inquiry would also be handled in a similar way as the answers were being sent.
Speaking on ‘The Punjab Tahaffuz-e-Bunyaad-e-Islam Bill 2020’, PML-N’s Illyas Chanioti demanded that the government add a column of religion in the CNIC. He said the provincial government should discuss the matter with the federal authorities.