Governance matters: Employment quota for the disabled increased

Election Commission has started delimitations of union councils and wards .

LAHORE:

The employment quota for disabled persons has been increased from two to three per cent, Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal said at a meeting of the Administrative Secretaries Committee at the Chief Secretary’s Office on Wednesday.

He said the ban on recruitment had been lifted for disabled persons in December 2014 and the government had so far advertised 114 posts.

Participants of the meeting discussed various issues including measures to control a possible dengue outbreak, the upcoming local government elections, recruitment under the disabled quota, the tree plantation campaign and implementation of the law to protect women’s share of inheritance.

Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik said nine suspected dengue cases had been reported in the province this year. However, no case had been confirmed so far, he said. He said all regional heads of the Dengue Experts Advisory Group (DEAG) and Health EDOs had been asked to start training medical, nursing and allied health professionals involved in treating dengue patients. A Sanitation Week will be observed by the Local Government and Community Development Department starting April 6, Local Government and Community Development Secretary Khalid Masood Chaudhry told the participants of the meeting.  He said a control room for this purpose had been set up at the office of the Local Government DG. “Special teams have also been constituted to monitor the situation,” he added.

Chaudhry said that boundaries of local governments had been notified under the Punjab Local Government Act, 2013. “Information regarding the demarcation of local governments; maps; population; and the number of union councils and wards has been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan,” he said.  The ECP has started delimitations of union councils and wards, he said.

Gondal asked for a detailed transition plan regarding the local governments to be presented in the next meeting.

The chief secretary directed all departments to cooperate with the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission in dealing with expatriates’ problems.  He said Pakistanis living abroad were an asset for the country and their problems would be addressed on priority. Gondal issued instructions to various departments to participate in an upcoming tree plantation campaign. He also ordered departments to ensure early disposal of pension cases and departmental inquiries.

Participants of the meeting were briefed on show-cause notices issued under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act; speedy disposal of court cases; progress on the disposal of delayed pension cases and retirement notifications.

The Punjab Overseas Pakistanis commissioner, and secretaries of various departments including Law, Finance, Education, Information, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, Social Welfare, and Special Education were present.

Promotions 

A meeting of the Provincial Selection Board will be held on Thursday at the Civil Secretariat. Gondal will chair it. The meeting will take into consideration the promotion of 160 officers in grades BS 18 to 20. Officials being considered for promotion are from the following departments: the Services and General Administration, Irrigation, Livestock, School Education, Agriculture, and Communications and Works.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2015.