The members of the NWFP Assembly on Thursday exhibited unanimity in demanding increase in their salaries, bringing it at par with their counter-parts in Sindh and Balochistan. But, they took little interest when two of their colleagues demanded compensation to the growers of sugarcane, whose crop was badly affected by heavy frost last year.
The demand for the increase in salaries and incentives was raised by Dr Zakirullah Khan of PPP through a resolution, which was even did not put to vote as the whole house applauded the movers through thumping of desks. But when it came to the matter of compensation to growers, senior minister of ANP requested the movers, Sher Afgan Khan and Malik Tamash Khan, to withdraw the resolution, arguing that the members' opposition to the move could send negative message from the house.
Speaking on the demand for increase in the salaries of the wealthy members, leader of the house Ameer Haider Khan Hoti himself agreed with the demand. Supporting the contentions of the movers and emotions of the house, he announced to bring the salaries of the legislators at least at par with their counterparts in two other small provinces.
He especially directed the Provincial Finance Department to collect details of the salaries of legislators in Sindh and Balochistan. The matter was resolved before even bothering to go for voting on the resolution.
Interestingly, the members, who were in recent past in opposition and were in the forefront of opposing such moves on the pretext of the lack of resources of the province, also refrained from making any hue and cry. Senior minister in the provincial cabinet Bashir Ahmad Bilour of ANP, speaking on the members' salaries, said in the past, he had been vocal on the issue.
He said that the province required funds, to be generated through taxes, to raise the members' salaries, and added compensation to the sugarcane growers would over-burden of the government. When the matter of the exemption of sugarcane growers from agriculture tax, Abiayana and compensation of their losses was put to vote, it was adopted with majority, but Bashir Ahmad Bilour, a representative of the industrialists community in the province, opposed the motion.
Bilour's opposition to the move for exemption of sugarcane growers for Abiayana, agriculture tax and provision of loans by Zarai Taraqgiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) is in total contrast to the pledges of his cabinet colleague, Arbab Ayub Jan, who said that the provincial government was working on a compensation package for the sugarcane growers.
Another important resolution relating to the restoration of liquidated Frontier Co-operatives Bank was deferred till the report of the inquiry by the departments of Agriculture and Law.
The house adopted the resolution of Sanjeeda Yusuf of PPP, demanding of the Federal government for provision of natural gas to D.I. Khan, while another resolution of the Naima Nisar was also passed unanimously. Through the resolution of PPP legislator, demanding renaming of the District Headquarters Hospital, Abbottabad, after the name of late PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.