Committee formed to decide recruitment policy

Depts directed to cooperate with Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission

LAHORE: Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal on Wednesday directed officials to set up a committee to formulate a new recruitment policy for government employees. The committee will recommend whether to recruit new employees on regular or contract basis.

He was presiding over a meeting of administrative secretaries. The meeting discussed steps to resolve problems of overseas Pakistanis, implementation of job quotas for the disabled and bringing foreign investment to the province.

He directed officials to set up a committee comprising Board of Revenue senior member, the Planning and Development Board chairman, secretaries of Finance, Services and Regulation Departments to prepare recommendations regarding the mode of employment in government departments. He directed the secretaries to ensure the implementation of job quota for the disabled.

A source privy to the proceedings of the meeting said that the chief secretary took the decision to formulate the committee after being informed that employees recruited on contract basis started demanding regularisation after the expiry of their job terms. The official said that the Social Welfare Department secretary told the meeting that there were 2,954 vacancies for the disabled. “Around 1,200 vacancies are in provincial departments and the rest in district government departments. Hiring process on 161 seats for the disabled in several departments has already been completed,” the official said. The chief secretary directed all departments to cooperate with the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission to resolve the problems faced by Pakistanis living abroad.

The chief secretary directed the departments to identify the areas where foreign investment could be made.

The meeting was also briefed about the issuance of show-cause notices to absent government employees under the PEEDA Act, online publication of substantive and delegated/subordinate legislation, progress regarding disposal of delayed pension cases and issuance of retirement notifications.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2015.