27 January 2004	Tuesday	04 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 26: The issue of fresh appointments will dominate the Fishermen Cooperative Society's meeting, which has been called on Jan 28. Though officially no agenda of the FCS Board of Directors' meeting has been issued so far , it is learnt that some senior directors will raise the issue of fresh recruitments, which were made allegedly in violation of the Society's rules.

On the directive of the FCS Chairman Manzoor Ali Panhwar, a committee was constituted to scrutinize the cases of fresh appointments on individual basis. It was learnt that the committee interviewed all the recruits and finalized its recommendations, which would be submitted in the FCS meeting on Jan 28. However, a senior director in a letter addressed to the FCS chairman asked him to investigate the issue in all respects.

He said the committee had never been assigned the task of preparing new recruitment policy when the FCS rules were already very clear. According to him, the committee should not submit any justification for absorbing the excess staff appointed illegally. He was of the view the committee should, first, accommodate the appointments of 65 newly recruited persons and details of the vacant posts should be brought in the meeting for consideration.

JOBS: Over 400 fresh appointments were made on various posts in the FCS in December 2003. Most of these jobs were low-paid and were provided to meet the administrative, security, marketing needs of the harbour.

A group of directors, including FCS vice-chairman Abuzar Mariwara, was of the view that these appointments were made to provide jobs to the children of fishermen to mitigate their economic sufferings.

The directors said for the first time a large number of people were employed from fishermen families. The controversy over fresh appointments in the FCS was kicked last month when a senior director opposed them.

Surprisingly, the official list issued here shows that all the directors, including government as well as elected members, have recommended various applicants for jobs.

An FCS official said if the appointments were illegal why the elected directors had recommended the applicants for appointments. Talking to Dawn, FCS vice-chairman Abuzar Mariwara said that all members and directors of the society should work together to solve the problems of fishermen community. He said the FCS chairman had already adopted a conciliatory policy and he was ready to accept any proposal for the welfare of fishermen community. He expressed hope that senior directors would reciprocate in the same way. He said that the issue of fresh appointments would be amicably settled when the FCS Board of Directors would meet on Jan 28.