Teachers’ passing criteria relaxed

Decision taken by cabinet after miserable test results

KARACHI:

After a vast majority of candidates failed the teachers’ recruitment exams conducted last month by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Sukkur, the Sindh Cabinet on Wednesday, by approving the policy of hiring teaching and non-teaching staff, decided to decrease passing marks for females and minorities from 55% to 50% and differently-abled persons from 55% to 33%.

Talking about the recruitment of teachers, Murad Ali Shah, during a press conference at the CM House after the latest cabinet meeting, said that the School Education Department had announced 23,510 vacancies for primary school teachers (PST) and 14,039 of junior elementary school teachers (JEST) against which 184,209 candidates appeared for PST and 164,319 for JEST. Of them, 11,549 qualified the test for PST and 1,385 for JEST respectively.

He said that the cabinet discussed the situation and decided to waive the condition of 45 per cent marks, while 50 per cent passing marks were approved for minorities and girls as well as 33 per cent for hard-hit areas and differently-abled persons.

“In this way, vacancies will be filled to run the schools which are facing a dearth of teachers,” he said. Shah continued that the left over candidates, who passed the test under the newly approved criteria, but could not be appointed due to non-availability of vacancies, would be placed on a waiting list for one year.

Minimum wage

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that an unprecedented tsunami of inflation in the country has deprived poor people of simple bread and butter.

“People are in severe pain and have lost the courage to even cry. Therefore, the provincial government, just to give some relief to the low paid employees in public and private sector, has decided to ensure the payment of Rs25,000 minimum wage and may increase it further,” he assured.

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“For the purpose, we are setting up a forum at the labour and industries departments to ensure proper implementation of government decisions in the public and private sector.”

Shah was accompanied by Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, Education Minister Sardar Shah and Industries Minister Ikramullah Dharejo.

Talking about the cabinet decision, Shah said the members had unanimously expressed serious reservations against the federal government’s defective, immature and unrealistic policies which have caused a record price hike. “Even white collar folks are unable to afford square meals for their families.”

“This is quite a painful situation,” he said. The CM added that was the reason the cabinet tasked the labour and industries departments to implement payment of minimum wage of Rs25,000 in all government organisations in the private sector.

The CM recalled that when his government had increased minimum wage from Rs17,500 to Rs25,000, he was criticised by the Centre.

Flour prices

To a question, Murad Ali Shah said that PTI led government in the Centre failed to stop wheat smuggling last year and the trend continued into the current year. “As a result, flour prices have increased considerably. He added that in Sindh, Rs77 per kg of flour was available and the produce being sold at Rs55 per kg, as claimed by federal ministers, was not even fit for even cattle consumption.

He was of the view that the policy of the federal government was peculiar in the sense that it passed the buck of its all failures to previous governments to hide its own shortcomings.

Malir Expressway

Replying to a question regarding Malir expressway, the chief minister said that the alignment of the road had changed a bit to save some old villages, but with the alteration had increased the cost of the project.

“The change in alignment was not acceptable to some stakeholders; therefore, this government has decided to take all on board.” He added that this was the reason that the project had been delayed.

Health management cadre

The health department proposed the establishment of a Health Management Cadre (HMC) of doctors to be posted on administrative posts after making necessary amendments to recruitment rules.

The proposed amendment in the recruitment rules would apply to doctors of BS-18, BS-19 and BS-20, including enhancement of eligibility criteria/qualification and method of appointment for doctors on administrative positions under HMC.

Under the new arrangement, 60 per cent of doctors would be appointed on HMC by promotion from Grade BS-17, having at least five years of service in grade BS-17 and 10 per cent amongst grade BS-18 senior medical officers and 30 percent by initial appointment through the Public Service Commission.

The cabinet, after thorough consideration, approved the amendment in the rules and the proposal of establishing the HMC in the health department.

Eight health units given to PPHI

The provincial cabinet, on the recommendation of the health department, approved handing over of eight health facilities to PPHI in Larkana district.

They include three taluka hospitals of Arija, Ratodero and Dokri. 50-bedded hospital Garhi Khuda Bux, 100-bedded hospital Naudero as well as three rural health centers (RHCs) of Badah, Bangul Dero and Garello.

The cabinet also formed a committee comprising Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, PPHI board of directors chairman, GA secretary and the health secretary. The body would restructure/reconstitute the board of Governors of PPHI as per the Public Sector Companies Rules 2013 and remove anomalies, if any.

200-acre land for Navy

On the request of the Pakistan Navy, the provincial cabinet approved the allotment of 200 acres of land from NC No255 of Deh Lal Bakhar on a 99-year lease to Pakistan Navy for residential purposes. The cabinet also approved the transfer of 433.25 acres of land, stretching over 36 km between Vajihar and Thar Block-II to the Sindh Engro Coal Mine Company (SECMC). The purpose was to for lay pipes for a water supply scheme.

Vehicles for Crime Scene Unit

The cabinet was told that a Crime Scene Unit (CSU) were being established. The units responsibilities included investigating primary deals with identification, collection, proper packing, transport and analysis of evidence material.

The government has worked out a plan to establish CSUs in 31 police districts of the province for which Rs194. 4 million was allocated.

At present, 10 CSUs are working in Karachi, but they are not properly functional due to the lack of designated vehicles. Six other units have been established in the Karachi range but are nonfunctional, while one is in Hyderabad and another in Larkana.

The cabinet also approved the plan to functionalise eight units in the Karachi range and 23 in districts of the rest of the province. The units would be established in SSP offices. Ministers also approved the procurement of designated vehicles for all the 31 units at a cost of Rs177.281 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2021.