Non-compliance: G-B government reluctant to regularise Lady Health Workers

Says the area does not fall under the jurisdiction of Supreme Court.

Peer Muhammad March 09, 2013

“We have taken steps to regularise the services of all the contract employees in various departments and LHWs are also among them,” says Shah. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:

The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) provincial government has refused the Supreme Court (SC) orders to regularise the Lady Health Workers (LHWs), saying the area does not fall in the jurisdiction of SC.

The apex court had directed the federal and provincial governments after disposing of a petition of the LHWs to regularise the services of these workers. All the four provinces and the ICT administration submitted their reports on Thursday, informing the court that they have issued the notifications for regularising the services.

However, there was no report from the G-B administration. Sources said that G-B government argued that since the area does not come under the jurisdiction of the SC, there is no reason to comply with the directives.

G-B Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah said he had held meeting with the federal finance minister and the services of the LHWs would be regularised along with other contract employees working in different departments of G-B. “We have taken steps to regularise the services of all the contract employees in various departments and LHWs are also among them,” said Shah.

When contacted, G-B Health Minister Gulber Khan, said that they have provided data of LHWs to finance minister for providing funds so that the services LHWs could be regularised. Meanwhile, the LHWs from Ghizer district alleged that the officials of the health department have embezzled their two-month salaries ( May and June 2011) worth Rs2.2 million.

About the allegations of the embezzlement, the health minister said that after the inquiry it has been detected that the funds have been returned to the federal government and the health department has again written to federal finance ministry for their refunding. He added that pension of former director health Hasan Amacha has been seized due to this reason and an inquiry is also underway in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2013.