Exposing the poor financial condition of the treasury, Punjab government has directed all government and semi government departments to fire all part time and work charge employees due to unavailability of funds for their salaries, it has learnt here on Monday.
The provincial government has also directed the Accountant General Punjab to stop salaries of these part time and work charge employees working in different government departments. The AGP, following the directions, has asked the heads of different departments to terminate services of these employees immediately as they would not be issued salaries.
Sources in provincial government told this scribe that government had to take the decision in order to lessen the financial burden on the provincial government. Initially, various departments of the city and district governments across the province fired uncountable employees including women and youngsters from their sub-sections and departments working as part time or on work charge bases, they maintained.
Although, the decision of termination of work charge and part time employees on a large scale would render many youths, orphans and widows jobless, yet, the sources maintained, government would be able to save millions of rupees being paid as salaries of the workers.
In fact, government considered these employees an undue burden on the national exchequer, which led to this drastic decision and could have resulted into an unpleasant situation for the government. The decision could also deal a blow to PML-N govt's popularity among the part time employees in general and regular employees of the government in particular, they added.
"These employees have no option except to protest against the decision of the government," said office-bearers of the work charge employees union of City District Government Multan, adding, government will have to face consequences of its decision because unemployment in the country already is on alarming stage and the masses are already struggling hard to earn their living r and these type of decisions would multiply their miseries and woes.