The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has sought a detailed report from the Establishment Division on a minister's statement that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is going to disband 400 departments. "If the government expels the employees these 400 departments without any law then the committee will stand with them. The PTI had promised to give 10 million jobs to the people but now it is snatching jobs from the people," Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood expressed these views while chairing the committee meeting here at Parliament House on Thursday.
The committee discussed the job quota of the provinces, qualifying criteria for Central Superior Services (CSS) examination 2013, 'The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2019,' and statement of the Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry about disbanding 400 departments.
Committee member Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan said that hundreds and thousands of people would become jobless if the PTI government disbands 400 departments. "This country is not a social welfare state, the government should not make the people jobless," he said.
An official of the Establishment Division admitted that the PTI government is going to disband 400 departments. However, he said that the government would not expel the employees. He said that restructuring of 400 departments is at the final stage. The federal minister for parliamentary affairs said that the government is spending Rs 1,300 billion on sick units and public department without any output. "We will improve the department with public-private partnership. We are spending budget on these department more than the budget of military," he said.
The minister said that there is need to restructure the department and in this regard a study has almost been done. While briefing the committee on 'The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2019,' moved by Senator Raza Rabbani, the secretary power said that it is against Constitution of Pakistan. He said that the under Article-97 of the Constitution, the Parliament and federal government have authority. "We cannot oversight the federal government," said the secretary.
He said that the Bill wants to remove the authority of approval of the federal government on recommendation made by the provincial governments. The Bill proposed amendment in the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997.
Senator Rubina Khalid said that Mian Raza Rabbani could give better response to the points of the secretary power. She said that Raza Rabbani is not present here and he suggested discussing the Bill in his presence. Senator Samina Saeed said that in the past a matriculation passed person was appointed as the chairman OGDCL and the federation should get this power.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that the Ministry of Power has given these points to the members for reading and the committee would decide on the matter in the next meeting. Committee Chairman Senator Mohamed Talha Mahmood said that in the previous meeting it was explicitly stated that the agenda will be included in Thursday meeting of the committee. He said that the Senate Secretariat will talk to Raza Rabbani and the matter will be reviewed and added to the committee's agenda on his availability.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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