Instead of announcing relief to the masses amid rising inflation and a raging pandemic, the provincial assembly passed a bill on Thursday to increase the remuneration of parliamentary secretaries in Sindh.
Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Mukesh Kumar Chawla justified the move saying that the raise is in line with the earnings of their counterparts in other provinces.
Parliamentary secretaries, who happen to be members of the provincial assembly as well, establish and maintain a liaison between the members and the minister heading a particular department. In the absence of a minister, the relevant parliamentary secretary acts on their behalf in matters pertaining to resolutions, bills, questions and answers and items on the agenda. There are currently five parliamentary secretaries in Sindh.
According to the bill, moved by Chawla, the parliamentary secretaries will now be entitled to a special allowance of Rs50,000, which will be paid by the law department. Besides, they will receive Rs45,000 each month for house rent.
"The parliamentary secretaries will also be entitled to use an official car maintained at government expenses with a driver," Chawla informed the house, elaborating on the bill. Moreover, when travelling abroad for official duty, the parliamentary secretaries will be considered equivalent to Grade 21 official and will travel by air. Should the secretary opt to travel by road they would entitled to receive an allowance at the rate of Rs15 per kilometre, added Chawla.
These perks come in addition to the salary and privileges that are drawn by the parliamentary secretaries from the assembly secretariat in their capacity as members of the house. The consolidated monthly salary of each MPA stands at Rs147,000.
Chawla, who is also the parliamentary minister, maintained that the bill has been introduced with the aim to bring the remuneration of Sindh's parliamentary secretaries at par with those of other provinces. Their counterparts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa receive Rs500,000 and Rs300,000 respectively, he claimed.
During the session, objections were raised from opposition lawmakers who pointed out that on the one hand the PPP-led Sindh government claims there is a lack of funds, and on the other, the salaries are being increased. However, the bill was passed unanimously as no lawmaker resisted the bill during voting.
Prior to the voting, when Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan lawmaker stated that the extra allowances for parliamentary secretaries will increase burden on the exchequer, Chawla dismissed the concern claiming that it is not an increase of millions of rupees.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Child Protection Authority (Amendment) Bill 2021was also introduced before the house on the day.
The amendment has been introduced as the existing law reportedly does not cover preventive or curative measures with regards to numerous crimes against children who are abducted or go missing. Besides, it has failed to curb child trafficking, rape or killings of children.
The statement of objective clarifies that police and other law enforcement agencies would be bound under the proposed law to lodge an FIR on the complaint of parents, without delays.
However, an adjournment motion moved by Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal lawmaker Syed Abdul Rasheed pertaining to the lack of basic facilities in the metropolis was dismissed by the provincial government.
Similarly, a privilege motion moved by MQM-P lawmaker Muhammad Hussain regarding the seven pending private bills moved by different lawmakers could not be taken up either as it was rejected by the treasury members.
Earlier when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Shah Nawaz Jadoon, moved a call attention notice about drugs, heroine and charas, being sold in Machar Colony, Chawla, who also holds the portfolio of excise taxation and narcotics control, shot it down.
Chawla alleged that all drugs come from KP and leveled blame on the PTI government in that province.
The session was adjourned till today (Friday).
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2021.
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