ISLAMABAD - Internees in the Prime Minister Youth Scheme have complained that they are not receiving any monthly stipends during the past two months and their placement in irrelevant departments.
“This is our 3rd month working in the National internship programme and I haven’t received any stipend,” an internee told The Nation here Monday.
The federal government has launched the national internship program 2016, in February this year. The aim of this program is to provide practical skills and experience to educated unemployed youth. Under the drive 50,000 internees will be placed in different institutions/departments for the period of one year under the prime minister youth scheme.
The allocation of interns was being made in accordance with the NFC Award and FPSC’s recruitment criteria for provincial/regional quotas for all three years. The selection of interns is on the basis of their domicile but can be placed in originations outside of their domicile region based on the demand profile and matching of applicant’s profile. The budget allocation for 2015-18 is Rs 7851 million. The internees will be given monthly stipend of Rs 12000 per month for one year.
An internee who requested not to be named said that he received placement letter in National Internship programme during the last week of March and he joined in the first week of April but till today they didn’t receive any stipend.
He said that in just one university more than hundred of internees have not received their stipend for the month of April and May. He said that they have contacted the focal persons of their departments where they have been informed that their stipend issue is still under process. Some focal persons even don’t know about the mode of payments. Some will tell you that they will pay you by easypaisa while others will tell you will get it via ATM card. “I am spending money from my pocket for the past about three months and I am getting no payment, I cannot continue it for a long time,” he said.
Another internee also complained about the non-payment of stipend since April. “I have also joined in the first week of April and still I didn’t get any money under the internship programme.”
Director General National Internship Program was repeatedly contacted on his official phone but his phone was busy.
When the helpline for the prime minister youth programme was contacted it was informed that all the internees are getting monthly stipend, however, if anyone is facing any problem he/she should contact the focal person of their concerned department or the bank where challan has been deposited.
The internees said that they have already deposited the bank challans online in May but has to yet hear from them.
Some internees also complained that they have been placed in irrelevant departments while others said that although they are in relevant organizations but there is no one who can guide them. “It is just waste of money and time as I didn’t learn anything during the past three months,” said an internee. “I have a Bachelor of Engineering degree. I have been placed for a job which can be easily performed by an internee with intermediate qualification,” he added. It was also learnt that some internees with computer engineering and MBA have been deputed for teaching jobs.
The government is required to clear the dues of the internees, as majority of internees wants to go to their native towns for cerebrating Eid with their loved ones.