The NWFP caretaker cabinet on Tuesday rescinded the amendments made in the Civil Servant Act 1973 allowing pension benefits to all the provincial government employees recruited against the regular posts under the contract policy.
The decision would benefit the employees recruited under contractual arrangements from the period of June 2001 to June 2005 and directed to engage a professional consultant for efficient fund management of all funds including pension, gratuity, GP fund, benevolent fund and Shydo endowment fund.
The provincial government of Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) on July 23, 2005 amended the Section-19 of the Civil Servant Act 1973 allowing contractual employment without pension benefits. The amendment was severely criticised by the then joint opposition in the provincial assembly.
The cabinet's meeting held with Caretaker Chief Minister Shams-ul-Mulk in the chair was actually a farewell sitting in the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Peshawar. However, it debated a 9-point agenda and made a number of decisions. Chief Secretary Sahibzada Riaz Noor, Addl, Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir and administrative secretaries attended the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet also agreed to engage a professional consultant to carry out a holistic study on professional lines for restructuring the revenue department and indicate a mechanism for land revenue, settlement, up-gradation and resolution of the problems of the stakeholders in the revenue related matters.
The cabinet discussed the recommendations prepared by a sub-committee of the cabinet for restructuring of revenue department and observed that it should be a launching pad for the upcoming government to accomplish the gigantic task of modernisation, computerisation and facilitation of the working in the revenue department.
The cabinet also approved the 5 percent resource distribution formula on net hydle profit and other natural deposits discovered in certain districts and directed that these resources should go to districts where discoveries made. However, the cabinet stressed to identify the real affectees.
The cabinet also constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) and others as its members to set a criteria for distribution of resources which would focus on the facilitation of affectees, creating services in education, health and other infrastructure development.
A big portion of these resources must go to scholarships, technical education and producing professionals in the affected areas. The committee would also identify the affectees in the upstream, reservoirs and downstream to take all of them on board in the distribution of resources agreed by the cabinet.
The cabinet directed the department concerned to improve the revenue receipts situation adding that the yawning gape between the receipts and the actual dues should be bridged through relentless efforts in order to reduce the shortfall of the revenue position in the province. The cabinet also agreed to wrap up the ban on the exploration and exploitation of metallic minerals, precious stones, dimension stones etc.
The cabinet condemned the attack on the 'Plan international' - a NGO that caused loss of precious human lives and injuries to others. The cabinet asked for an inquiry by the Home department to dig out the culprits and identify the lapses by the law enforcing agencies. The committee would fix responsibility; identify the factors and the reasons for the delayed reaction by the law enforcing agencies. The committee to be headed by Special Secretary Home and senior police officers, DCO, DPO and representatives of Perra as its members would submit its findings within one week.
The committee would also identify that despite a security apparatus installed for the security of NGOs, contributing to the rehabilitation of affectees in the earthquake-hit areas, failed to respond effectively to the actions of miscreants. The committee would also unearth the hidden dimensions of the incident.
The cabinet took a serious note of the incident, condemned the act and sympathised with the aggrieved. The cabinet assured complete security and safety to all the NGOs who are helping the government in the rehabilitation and recovery of the people of quake-hit areas.
Addressing the cabinet meeting Shams-ul-Mulk said that the caretaker government had a limited mandate that was for a limited time-tag adding that the caretaker set-up had the responsibility to conduct elections in a peaceful and transparent manner.
He also highlighted the efforts of caretaker government for the introduction of Nizam-e-Adl Regulations in Malakand Region. He also assured a comprehensive compensation and rehabilitation package for the district Swat.