Minister orders increased perks for Wasa sewer men

LAHORE:Minister for Finance Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht has directed for increasing perks for Wasa plumbers and sewer men, providing health cards and including them in financial assistance programmes, espoused by social protection authority.

Salaries of Shehr-e-Khamoshan employees should be paid at the earliest and standing committee’s targets should be identified so that departments may avoid sending unnecessary agenda items to it. Commencement of schemes announced in the current financial year under Punjab Ehsaas Programme should also be ensured at the earliest, the minister said.

The minister was presiding over the 20th meeting of cabinet standing committee on finance and development at CM Office here on Wednesday. The minister directed the secretary local government to collect data of plumbers and sewer men from Wasa to estimate their salaries, perks and privileges. He hinted at providing pension to sewer men. The minister directed the Punjab Housing Authority to prepare feasibility prior for acquisition of land and asked the social protection authority to update the committee about its organisational capacity. The local government department should be consulted with health and education departments and local government institutions, the minister said.

More than 20 agenda items were presented before the committee. Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, chief secretary, secretary finance, secretary P&D and representatives of relevant departments attended the meeting.

OPC: Additional Chief Secretary (Administrative Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis Commission) Shaukat Ali chaired a meeting to review the performance of District Overseas Pakistanis Committees of Sargodha division via video link in Civil Secretariat here on Wednesday.

Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Vice-Chairperson Waseem Akhtar and OPC Commissioner Passand Khan Buledi briefed the chair in detail about the resolved, referred and pending complaints of Sargodha division and overall performance and working mechanism of the commission.

Passand Khan Buledi also shared the ongoing proceedings and the latest statistics showing the progress on the complaints. Out of 331 complaints, a total number of complaints resolved from four districts i.e. Sargodha, Khushaab, Mianwali and Bhakkar is 210 which makes the resolved rate 63 per cent in Sargodha division.

It is also pertinent to mention that as per OPC Portal 17,812 complaints have been received so far, out of which, 9,797 resolved because of the hard work of the officers working in the commission. The resolved rate of the complaints has reached from 37 pc in the beginning of this year to 55 pc now. “It is the commitment of my team that we have been able to resolve over 4,500 complaints during last year, retrieving the property worth Rs 6 billion” said the OPC vice-chairperson.

ACS Shaukat Ali while chairing the review meeting said that the marvelous work done by the commission was commendable and expeditious disposal of the complaints of overseas Pakistanis by the commission was also satisfactory.

Overseas Pakistanis are the backbone to the economy of Pakistan and early solution to their problems was among the top priorities of the current PTI-led government.