ISLAMABAD: The Establishment Division has created a surplus pool of around 7000P Public Works Department (PWD) employees, in the first phase of the transition plan to wind up PWD. This decision was taken after the 6 June directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to wind up PWD for sustained “poor performance and corruption.” However, the Prime Minister emphasized that the interests of the employees must be protected during the dissolution process.

A high level committee was tasked with drafting a transition plan for the dissolution of PWD. The committee was headed by Riaz Pirzada Minister for Housing and Works, and included deputy chairman Planning Commission, representatives from the Finance Division and the establishment and law division secretaries.

After deciding to abolish PWD, the Ministry of Housing and Works has also been directed to formulate a plan, after consultations, for the 7,000-plus PWD employees. Representatives of the employees have held regular meetings with the officials of PWD.

PM for expediting PWD dissolution process

Out of around 7,000 employees, an official of PWD on the condition of anonymity said around 3,000 are technicians who would be transferred to various federal and provincial departments while the other are regular employees who will be placed in surplus pool for further postings.

The decision to dissolve the PWD has sparked protests from the employees. The Worker Union representative, Abdul Rehman Bajwa, stated that some employees plan to challenge the decision in court. He told Business Recorder that technical staff in Balochistan has already filed a petition against the decision to wind up PWD.

Thousands of Pak-PWD employees gather outside the Pak-PWD office in protest urging the PM to root out corrupt elements from the department instead of shutting it down.

The Worker Union received assurances from the Housing Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Division that all jobs would be preserved, with employees being reassigned to vacant positions.

An official in Establishment Division on condition of anonymity said that the employees in the surplus pool will be sent to different ministries and divisions and none of them will be made redundant or retired against their desire.

Only those employees who agree will retire and all their due benefits will be paid to them, he maintained.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024