The Cabinet on Wednesday decided, in principle, to regularise the services of all contractual employees from grade 1 to 15, who have been working continuously for the last two years.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, took the decision in line with the commitment of Benazir Bhutto as enshrined in the manifesto of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), said Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman.
Briefing the media on the decisions taken by the Cabinet, she said the Finance Minister has been asked to apprise the Cabinet, in the next meeting, about financial implications of the decision. She said the Prime Minister observed that the day was an historic day for the low-paid contractual employees and for their families.
The Prime Minister said that the government would take all steps to achieve the targets of the 100 days' programme, which promises to bring about qualitative changes in the life of the people, particularly the poor segments of the society.
The Minister said that the Cabinet approved amendment in the bill titled 'Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Act-2008' to regularise those contractual employees of PIA, who have completed service of nine months or more. She said that a four-member committee has been set up to review the terms and conditions of contractual employees serving in higher grades with a view to rationalise the exorbitant pay, privileges and perks.
The committee consists of Minister for Finance, Minister for Law and Justice, Minister for Labour and Manpower and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, she added. She said that relief would be provided to the common man, salaried class and low-income groups in the coming budget. She said PPP has a practice of holding debate on every federal budget in its parliamentary committee meeting and it would continue this tradition.
Commenting on planned 'long march' of lawyers, she said that it was their democratic right, and the government would welcome peaceful movement of lawyers. The Minister said that PPP and PML (N) would discuss all vital issues in their joint committee meeting.
She said the government has re-prioritised its PSDP and social service commitments for the coming budget, and added that under the present conditions, where one can see rising fuel and food prices at the international level, adequate relief would be provided to the common man.
The Minister said that relief measures would be taken for salaried and poor sections in the budget, and added that the budget would encourage investors and help alleviate poverty. She categorically said that there was no plan to roll back the local government system. "Devolution of powers is a settled issue as the PPP was in favour of devolution of powers. No decision has been taken to disrupt the LG system," she added.
She said that the decision to shelve Kala Bagh dam was taken to avoid wastage of funds on this project. The Minister said extra vigilance has been ensured to check wheat smuggling. The government has achieved the target as far as wheat procurement is concerned, she added.
She said the Cabinet also approved the amendment in the 'Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, proposed to provide relief to prisoners by way of granting bail after two years in case of offences punishable with death and after one year in case of offences not punishable with death.
This period is further proposed to be reduced to one year and six months respectively in case of women accused, she said, adding that the amendment does not propose such concessions to the hardened and dangerous criminals. The Cabinet approved a bill to further amend the 'Representations of the People Act 1976' to prevent frequent adjournments sought in election petition to defeat the objective of the law.
The Minister said that amendment was also approved in the Companies (Appointment of Legal Adviser) Act 1974 meant to assist the companies in the legal matters faced by the companies and to provide financial aid to young lawyers who face financial problems at the early stage of the profession.
The amendment proposed that every company, having at least paid up capital of Rs 2 million, will be liable to appoint legal adviser with at least five years' experience. Sherry said that the Cabinet also approved the winding up of 'Equity Participation Fund' as it had become dormant and was not serving any useful purpose for the economy of the county.
She said the 'Stock Exchanges (Corporatisation, Demutualisation and Integration) Bill, 2008' was approved aimed at breaking the monopolies of the brokers in the stock exchange market. It will enable the private sector to penetrate the country's capital market.
The Minister said that the State Bank of Pakistan has been allowed to print currency notes of Rs 5 and Rs 50 denominations, and added that the printing of 10,000-rupee note was not approved.
She said the Cabinet set up a committee consisting of Minister for Shipping, a Federal Minister from Balochistan and Minister for Law and Justice to review the Gwadar Port Authority's revised bill for new corporate structure of the port and submit its recommendations to the Cabinet. She said the Cabinet asked the Ministry of Water and Power to finalise technical and financial issues so that industrial units and tube-well are given more hours of electricity by reducing the load shedding hours.
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