The Punjab government had recruited two retired men – Colonel (retired) Muhammad Safdar and Colonel (retired) Muhammad Shafiq – to fly an M-17 helicopter owned by the Punjab government.
Their services were hired on contract by the government in 2005. Both of them have completed two three-year terms each. Their contract was renewed for another three years during the first week of August.
However, a proposal has been sent to the government saying that government expenditure could be cut down significantly if the contracts of the two pilots are terminated and DMG officers who are ex-pilots and fulfill the criteria of flying helicopters be used in their place, an official requesting anonymity said.
The official added that the Punjab government had been providing special perks to its two pilots.
The government had allocated Rs1.2 million in annual budget 2010-11 to provide flying allowance to these contract employees in addition to regular salaries, utility allowance, overtime allowance and travel allowance.
The government can save Rs4.5 million annually by terminating the existing contracts, said the official, since the serving DMG officers were willing to serve as pilots for the salary they are currently paid.
One of the DMG officers whose name has been proposed as a pilot is serving as administrative secretary of a provincial department. The other is working as special secretary in another department, the official added.
The Punjab government had allocated Rs73.60 million in annual budget 2010-11 to meet the current expenditure of AF of Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD).
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th,
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