Other matters: MPAs pass bill to establish university

NPP MPA raises concerns about illegal appointments in education department.

KARACHI:

Though the lion’s share of the assembly was taken up by discussions on the Abbas Town blast, there were other things on the agenda too.

The provincial assembly passed a bill to establish Shaheed Benazir Bhutto City University in Karachi. Law minister Ayaz Soomro said that campuses of the university would be set up in other districts as well.

National Peoples Party MPA Arif Mustafa Jatoi also raised concerns about thousands of illegal appointments in Naushero Feroze’s education department. The education minister admitted that his department had received such complaints and an inquiry has been initiated.

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi also raised the issue of people hired on a temporary contract in various departments not being offered permanent jobs. To this, the law minister replied, “Before this assembly is dissolved, we will pass all the pending bills in order to give permanent jobs to deserving people.”

There was also some discussion on the ongoing tussle between Water and Power Development Authority and the provincial government over outstanding dues. The chief minister said that Hyderabad Electric Supply Corporation had issued inflated bills to government departments, claiming the outstanding amount was a staggering Rs21 billion. “Following the inquiry, we found out that the amount is actually Rs3.5 billion. We have now cleared all dues till 2010.” He said the utility is still issuing inflated bills and the provincial government has also taken up the matter with federal government and the Council of Common Interest (CCI).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2013.