14,000 contract teachers are now permanent govt employees

Minister vows to lay siege to Karachi port.

KARACHI:

Hundreds of teachers working on contract throughout the province must have heaved a sigh of relief after the Sindh Assembly on Monday passed a law extending permanent jobs to all the contract teachers appointed from 2008 to 2011.

Moving a bill, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Sindh, Ayaz Soomro, said that around 14,000 primary, secondary and higher secondary teachers appointed on contract basis would be regularised on the basis of their performance.

These teachers were hired after they had cleared prerequisite tests conducted by Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur, and the Sindh University.

Soomro said that the teachers whose services are being regularised would not be transferred from the schools till they complete five years at their present posting.

He further said that out of 14,000 contract teachers 6,000 were appointed in 2008, while the rest were hired in 2009 and 2010.

“There has been an outstanding performance by these contract teachers. The World Bank had also appreciated, therefore we are going to give them permanent jobs,” he said.

The minister further said that the government would appoint 19,000 more teachers in near future.

MQM’s parliamentary leader Sardar Ahmed appreciated the efforts of government and endorsed the decision on behalf of his party.

The decision to give permanent jobs to the contract teachers was made following the strong protest by them all over Sindh.

Minister threats

As the assembly session progressed smoothly, the provincial transport minister, Akhtar Jadoon, created a scene when he stood up and cried that people of his area were being neglected as no effort was being made to provide them drinking water.

“There is no supply of drinking water for the last one year in my constituency, Sikandarabad, Keamari. I have lodged many complaints with officials and raised the issue in this house as well.  But the drinking water is not being provided to us,” he said.

Emotionally charged PPP minister declared: “If water is not released, we will besiege the Karachi Port stopping all its activities till our demands are met.”

He said that people of the area had lived through the same situation when their party (PPP) was in opposition. “There seems to be no change even if we are in government. Why we are being punished in the name of reconciliation,” he questioned.

As the cries of transport minister became louder many members of his party tried to pacify him but nobody assured him to resolve the problem.

KESC comes under fire

The Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC)  came under fire when Haji Muzaffar Shujra, Minister for Rehabilitation, called it a white elephant, saying that exorbitant bills are being issued by the power utility to people living in coastal areas without taking the meter reading. He claimed that KESC staff does not bother to come in their villages and issues fake bills. “How can people pay the bill? Instead of making correction, the KESC officials have removed PMT from the area,” he said.

Ombudsman

Apparently to secure another term for Asad Ashraf Malik, the Sindh Assembly on Monday passed a law making amendment in Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman of the Province Bill. The bill was moved by law minister Ayaz Soomro which authorised Sindh governor to extend the term of Ombudsman or reappoint him for another term on the advice of chief minister.  According to the bill the ombudsman will hold the office for a period of four years.

The assembly also passed “Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Science Bill, 2012.” The institute will be established in Sehwan by up gradating taluka hospital of the town.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2012.