KARACHI – As the government tenure is being expired, the Sindh Assembly, at the eleventh hour, on Thursday regularised the services of over 0.1 million employees working on adhoc and contract basis in different departments.
Besides, another bill was passed into law through which legal cover given to the absorption and promotion of officers as well allowing the government to appoint the services of retired officers amid opposition of PML-F and NPP MPAs.
The House, which started at 12:10pm against schedule of 10am with Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in the Chair, took up the question-hour pertaining to the Home Department.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro urged the Chair to allow him to table “The Sindh Regularisation of Adhoc and Contract Employees Bill 2013 on priority basis.
Opposition leader of MQM Sardar Ahmed said that he had requested the law minister to defer the consideration of this bill as the number of employees and other issues were not clear in the bill so it should be examined thoroughly.
But PPP lawmakers while sitting on their seats echoed with voice ‘no’ opposed the submission of opposition leader.
Observing the mood of the House, the opposition leader clarified that he is not opposing the regularisation of the services of adhoc and contract employees but at least everyone should know that genuine and how many employees being regularised.
Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani opposing the suggestion of the opposition leader urged the chair to allow the consideration of bill immediately.
On which, opposition leader said that government had majority to pass the bill but it would be illegal without having numbers and detail of the contract and adhoc employees in the law. Replying to the point raised by the opposition leader, Soomro clarified that only contract and adhoc employees are being regularised excluding daily wages workers.
Without giving specific number of employees, he told the House that this bill covers regularisation of over 0.1 million employees working in health, education, information department, planning, finance, local government, population welfare, irrigation, agriculture and other provincial and district governments including KMC on adhoc and contract basis.
He said that this bill was not illegal as services of contractual employees of grade-17 and 18 were also regularised in the past too, adding that PPP government through regularising the services of the employees has fulfilled the promise made with the people.
Law Minister said that present government recruited 8,000 head constables through public service commission but judiciary issued stay order in this regard. He reminded that people were burning their academic degrees during the Zia, Musharraf and Nawaz governments as they were deprived of jobs but people’s party government will not keep them unemployed more.
The MPAs especially the female lawmakers of ruling PPP continued thumping the desks and chanted slogans of “Benazir Ayegi-Rozgar Laegi and Long Live Bhutto” in rhythm.
Opposition leader Syed Sardare Ahmed again stood and clarified that every party including Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and his party chief Altaf Hussain wanted to give employment to the people as he is not against the bill.
Later, speaker put the motion to take up the bill for consideration immediately, which house passed unanimously.
The bill was taken up clause by clause with thumping of desks and chanting of slogans in jubilation by the PPP MPAs and passed it unanimously.
The ruling PPP by regularizing the services of contractual employees has made a lot of people happy just before it going to the electorate for a renewal of its mandate is an effort to soften its image before the people of Sindh.
After the passage of bill opposition MPAs Nusar Sehar Abbasi, Marvi Rashdi of PML-F and others stood to talk in favour of the law but their effort went in vain due to thumping of desk from ruling PPP, besides chair also didn’t granted them permission for it.
Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said that Punjab Chief Minister had regularized the services of contractual employees through executive order, which could be challenged in the court, but we have given legal cover to the regularisation of services of the contractual and adhoc employees.
MQM’s Dr Sagheer Ahmed also congratulated the house over passing for regularizing the services, demanded that government should regularize the services of the daily wage workers. The house also passed another bill ‘Sindh Civil Servants (Second Amendment) Bill 2013 with majority vote through which absorption and promotions of the officers given legal cover, allowing the government to hire the services of the retired employees on the contract basis.
However, MQM lawmaker Khalid Ahmed through moving amendment opposed the rehiring of the retired officers on contact basis but house rejected it with majority vote.
When the stage came for passage of bill, the MQM lawmakers didn’t oppose it.
During the passage of the bill, house witnessed pandemonium and exchange of harsh words between PPP and opposition PML-F MPAs, who exchanged allegations against each other.
House also rejected the amendment moved by the Arif Jatoi of NPP who said that all cases of absorption in higher grades, those retired reemployed employees and those currently posted to a position higher than there grade be reverted to their original position.
He said that giving legal cover to the absorption and promotion to the officers as well as rehiring the services of retired officers is against the statement of Chief Minister Sindh who made in his first budget speech, besides this bill is against the PPP’s manifesto.
Meanwhile, the House also passed Sindh Tenancy (Amendment) Bill 2013, through which tribunals would be established to ensure the cordial relations between the landlord and tenant.
The Assembly also passed another “Sindh Compulsory Iodization of Salt Bill 2013” unanimously.
This bill aimed to protect and promote the health of the people and sage them from iodine deficiency disorders, it is ensure that no salt without iodine is sold or used for human consumption in the province.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the House to meet again on Friday (today).