Just this once: G-B enacts law to regularise contract employees

180 govt workers from grades 1-18 will be considered under this service act.

GILGIT: The legislative assembly of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) on Tuesday enacted a special law to regularise nearly 180 contract employees of grade 1 onwards to grade 18.

The G-B Contract Employees Regularisation of Service Act 2014 was tabled by law minister Ali Madad Sher on the second day of the 34th session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Jamil Ahmed. The house unanimously endorsed the act, which will be sent to governor for approval.

“This is a one-time opportunity which this house is extending for the regularisation of these contract employees,” said Ali Madad Sher, referring to the 180 employees inducted on a contractual basis during the past four to nine years in various departments. “But this will be applicable to those who fulfilled the required protocols during their induction.”

Wheat on the mind

During the question-answer session, senior minister Muhammad Jaffer came down hard on the federal government for staggering the release of the wheat quota to G-B.

“There is a shortage of wheat in G-B and I admit this. But this is because of the federal government which doesn’t release our quota at once,” said Jaffer, replying to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid lawmaker Amina Ansari’s question on the shortage in the region. Jaffer further added ration cards are being introduced in G-B – these he contended will further create a shortage of wheat in the region.

Minister of Finance Muhammad Ali Akhtar asked the senior minister to conduct an enquiry about G-B receiving its full wheat quota of 1.5 million bags from Punjab.

Earlier, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Rahmat Khaliq pointed out about 35 trucks loaded with timber have been stuck in Chilas for the past five months. He asked the government to settle the issue on humanitarian grounds.

Abdul Hameed, a lawmaker from Astor Valley, asked for a ban on a company that has been extracting precious medicinal plants of the valley without seeking permission from locals. Adviser on forests Aftab Haider said the case was being settled in a court of law and was nearing a solution.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2014.