February 17, 2007	Saturday	Muharram 28, 1428

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QUETTA, Feb 16: The Balochistan government has decided to sack all sub-engineers who had been recruited by the provincial communications department without prior approval of the authorities concerned and in violation of rules and regulations. It also decided to freeze the Abyana rates.

The decision was taken by the provincial cabinet during a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf here on Friday. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, chief secretary K. B. Rind and other officials.

The provincial Communications Minister Prince Faisal Daud informed the meeting that officers of his department had recruited sub-engineers in different districts without the approval of the competent authority.

The cabinet took serious notice of the violation of rules and regulations and decided to terminate the services of all newly recruited sub-engineers.

The meeting directed the authorities concerned to take strict action against the communication department officials responsible for the violation of government recruitment rules.

The cabinet approved the setting up of a government employees housing foundation that would be responsible for building and providing houses to low-income government employees on easy instalments.

Reviewing the Abyana rates (tax on lands irrigated by canals), the cabinet observed that the annual Abyana rates in Balochistan were higher than in Sindh and Punjab and decided to freeze the rates at 13 per cent. The cabinet tasked the provincial irrigation and revenue departments to achieve the Abyana collection target.

The cabinet also decided to set up Haj and Auqaf and Minority Affairs departments, and to improve public healthcare and sanitation infrastructure in district headquarters and civil hospitals.

It was also decided that the government would ensure proper spending of funds being provided by the health department to hospitals.

Reviewing the rain-related losses, the cabinet directed the departments concerned to submit reports about the losses so that compensation could be paid to people affected by rain and snow.

It was also decided to release funds for repairing roads damaged by rain. Taking serious notice of the presence of ‘ghost employees’ in various government departments, the cabinet directed the authorities concerned to take strict action against them. The meeting approved the recruitment of financial management, training and monitoring coordinators for the Extended Polio Immunisation programme.

The scheme for providing Rs10,000 to unemployed youths and awarding scholarships to students for getting admissions to good educational institutions was also reviewed.

The provincial chief secretary informed the cabinet that job applications were being collected from unemployed youths at district levels in accordance with procedure adopted by the provincial government.

He said that the provincial government had urged the federal government to give some relaxation in age limit and educational qualification so that a maximum number of Baloch youths could benefit from the presidential scheme.

Inspector-General Police Tariq Masood Khosa briefed the cabinet about on the law and order and security situation in the province.