PESHAWAR: The provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tuesday decided to revert the superannuation age of the government employees to 60 years from the previously enhanced period of 63 years.
The meeting of the provincial cabinet held here with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
Provincial ministers and advisors & special assistants to Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, and administrative Secretaries took for debate a 14-agenda item and made a number of decisions including the government servants’ retirement age as 60 years.
Addressing the cabinet, the chief minister directed the departments to ensure implementation on the development and public welfare schemes under time-tag in the remaining two and half years of his government which he termed the crucial period. A number of schemes are ready for implementation which would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister from time to time. Therefore, he asked the relevant quarters to prepare themselves upto the mark.
“Good governance and transparency are the hallmarks of his government and no compromise whatsoever would be made,” he added. The public sector institutions should use information technology for speedy response generation including introducing e-summary system. The important summary should get approval in a week.
He further directed to introduce Patwar/Revenue System including transferring Patwaris at divisional level from one district to another. The tendering and bidding system for construction is satisfactory but the system should be further improved and made transparent.
He directed to ensure quality governance at district level asking to give special responsibility to DCs and DPOs and asked for reports of their initiatives. He also directed to install CCTV cameras at all forests check-posts to discourage illegal timber trafficking.
He directed the provincial ministers to ensure their presence to two days weekly and visit their respective areas to address to the public complaints and problems. All departments should at least identify one mega project to be undertaken through public-private partnership.
Later, briefing the media regarding decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, Provincial Ministers, Shahram Khan Tarakai, Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Special Assistant to KP CM on Information, Kamran Kamran Bangash said the cabinet thoroughly debated the pensionary reforms and decided to take the members of the government employees association on board in the final decision-making. A four-member committee was formed to be headed by Provincial Minister for Finance Taimur Jhagra, Minister for Education Shahram Khan Tarakai, Minister for Local Government Akbar Ayub Khan, and Minister for Labour Shaukat Ali Yousafzai.
The committee will interact with the Government Employees Association before the final decision on the new pensionary system. Mahmood Khan called upon the people to pay no heed to rumors. “No one would be deprived of pensionary benefits,” he added.
The cabinet approved the draft law for “Innovation Endowment Fund” of Rs 100 million for the Science and Technology in order to promote research and development in science and technology, support product development, efficient use of manpower, bring innovation in science and technology etc in the province.
The cabinet also agreed to make amendments in the Peshawar Development Authority Land Acquisition Act making a formula for the acquisition of two-lac kanal land on the pattern of partnership between the government and the land owners. Under the formula, the owners of four-kanal land will be entitled for 1-kanal developed plot. However, the payment of the development charges would be worked out by the authority.
The cabinet also approved to transfer 142-kanal of land of Golf-Course Kabal Swat to Higher Education for the establishment of a university and Female Campus. 101-kanal land of the Golf Club Swat would be allotted to establish the University of Engineering and Technology Swat.
The remaining 40-kanal land of the Golf Club would be transferred for the establishment of Paeds hospital and 2-kanal land for Recuse-1122.
The cabinet also agreed to the necessary amendment in the schedule-VIII of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2017.
The cabinet also approved the screening test of ETEA for employment in order to ensure merit and transparency. However, if ETEA does not have the capacity then the ETEA will write cogent reason to the relevant department and issue NOC so that credible private testing agency could be hired for the purpose.
The cabinet also formed a high-level committee for the creation of new zones for Public Service Commission recruitments on the basis of population and poverty. The committee to be headed by Taimur Jhagra and its members as Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Riaz Khan, Taj Muhammad and Wazir Zada. The committee will finalise recommendations for approval by the cabinet.
The provincial cabinet approved the upgradation of faculty of Agriculture Gomal University of DI Khan to a full-fledged Agriculture University.
The cabinet also approved the constitution of official and non-official members of Workers Welfare board for a period of three years as the tenure of the previous board had been completed.
The cabinet also agreed to the nomination of six new members included Dr Shoaib Ahmad for Founder Centre for Advance Studies in Engineering (CASE), Yousaf Hussain (Senior Partner Jump Curve UK Islamabad), Dr Khalid Khan (Director, Directorate of Science & Technology) and Dr Laiq Hassan (Chairman Computer System Engineering UET Peshawar) after the completion of ex-officio members either on their resignation or completion of their tenure of the Board of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Technology Board.
The cabinet in consultation with the Chief Justice Peshawar High Court approved the posting of Justice Rooh ul Amin Khan, a judge of PHC as Administrative Judge for the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) with immediate effect.
The cabinet approved the posting of District & Session Judges on the recommendation of PHC. Judge ATC DIK Inamullah was transferred to PHC, Judge ATC Swat Muhammad Wazir was transferred and posted as Judge ATC DIK and Muhammad Aamir Nazir District & Session Judge was posted as judge ATC Peshawar.
The cabinet approved the closure of educational institutions in District Peshawar, Nowshera and other districts including Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Malakand, Kohat, Swat and Dir Lower from March 17, 2021 to March 28, 2021 in the wake of Coronavirus.
The next strategy will follow after reviewing and observing the Coronavirus situation. However, the staff and the teachers would be present and the parents would get their guidance for the education and examination for their kids.
The cabinet rescinded the NTS test of primary school teachers which was conducted on 7th February, 2021. Now the NTS test would be conducted at zonal level and the government would monitor it so that such incidents did not happen again. The government believes in merit which never be compromised.
The cabinet also approved in principle the release Rs 9 billion for the provision of maximum stock of wheat and Atta in the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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