The Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) on Wednesday moved to regularise as many as 122 internees, contingency-based and contractual employees and consultants between grades 1 and 17. Orders in this regard were notified here after the approval of the selection committee. Nine orders for regularising workers in officer grades between 18 and 19 are still pending in the Chief Secretary's office, Business Recorder learnt on good authority.
On February 21 this year, the Sindh Assembly passed the Sindh Revenue Board (Amendment) Bill of 2012, empowering SRB to regularise its existing employees in basic pay-scales between 1 and 20 working on contractual or temporary basis via a selection Committee.
The act stated that: "In Section 5, after Sub-Section (2), following new Sub-Section (3) shall be added: (3) notwithstanding anything contained in any law, rules or judgement of any court, the Board shall be competent to regularise its existing officers and officials in basic pay scales 1 to 20 working on contract or temporary basis, through a Selection Committee to be notified by Government or as the case may be, the Board and Government or Board shall not be required to consult the Sindh Public Service Commission for making such appointments or on matters relating to qualifications of persons for such appointments."
Later, the S&GA Department notified the composition of a seven-member selection committee, including the Chairman of SRB as its head, Syed Anwar Hyder, Member of the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC), the Secretary of the provincial law department, secretary finance, additional secretary (services-I), additional secretary (Regulation) and a member of SRB.
After several meetings and interviews, the committee gave its approval to regularise as many as 131 employees between grade 1 and 19, including those who had joined SRB as internees, the sources said. According to the orders, there are 25 jobs of grade 17, 16 of grade 16, five of grade 15, 19 of grade 14, two of grade 11, five of grade 7, 29 of scale 4 and 21 of grade one.
The pending orders included eight of grade 18 and one of grade 19, awaiting the signatures of the Chief Secretary, sources said, adding that these orders would also be issued within a few days. In this connection, Tashfeen K Niaz, the In-charge Chairman of SRB, told this correspondent that the SRB team was working very hard, adding that after the regularisation of their jobs, these officials would work with more zeal. He expressed the hope that the remaining orders would also be issued soon.