ISLAMABAD:
The employees and management of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) is caught in a worrying situation as the livelihoods of 16,000 workers across the country are at risk.
Under the 18th Amendment, the federal government discontinued the provision of funds for human development projects by devolving them to the provinces.
As an autonomous body working under the cabinet division, NCHD is considered a devolved body, but no province has shown any desire to absorb the commission.
Despite the categorical announcement made by the Implementation Commission that not even a single employee would be deprived of his or her job, the future of 16,000 employees of NCHD is still up in the air and they have not being paid for the last three months.
According to the clause 25-A of the 18th Amendment, the state is responsible for providing free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of five to sixteen years in such a manner as may be determined by law. Hence, according to the Constitution of Pakistan, education is a fundamental human right and depriving over 500,000 children studying in NCHD’s community schools is a violation of the article.
Surprisingly, neither the federal or provincial governments have allocated any budget for the NCHD, which has created anxiety among employees.
When contacted, NCHD chairperson Nafisa Shah said that the issue is indeed serious, as it is a matter of the careers of over 16,000 people, and the government should evolve some mechanism to better handle it.
She said that if the provinces are not ready to adopt the NCHD, then federal government should make alternate arrangements, adding that, “As its chairperson, I am making hectic efforts to resolve the issue amicably, saying that the institute must be protected at all cost, as it has a major role in increasing literacy.”
An NCHD official said that the CCI has stated in its decision that if the provinces were not ready to adopt NCHD, then it should be abolished. He was of the view that NCHD was established through an Ordinance and the CCI could not overrule an Act of Parliament.
“We request the government to provide funds to make the NCHD functional, as we have been deprived of salaries for the last three years” said an official. “What kind of law renders people jobless and snatches access to education from children?” he remarked.
Another official called the move a “negation of the famous PPP slogan, ‘Roti, kapra aur makaan’ (food, clothing and shelter for all) as the livelihood of so many employees is threatened by this government decision.”
He said that the implementation commission should have the power to force the provinces to adopt NCHD.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2011.
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Employees of NCHD are passing overage factor. Where is slogan of PPP Roti. Kapra. Makan. Employees are deprived from their salaries for last three months.