April 30, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1429

KARACHI, April 29: The Sindh cabinet has decided to terminate with immediate effect contracts of re-employment in grades up to 22 and to do away with the posting of officers against vacancies in higher grades.

The only exception would be in cases of technical experts, senior police postings and DCOs “due to non-availability of required skilled officers”.

However, these discretionary powers would be exercised by the chief minister only.

The cabinet, which held its second meeting on Tuesday at the New Sindh Secretariat with Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in the chair, also took notice of the inordinate delay in holding departmental promotion committees (DPCs) which in certain cases were not held for over a decade, blocking promotion of government functionaries. It directed all departments to hold DPCs within a month and decide due promotion cases.

This was stated by Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri at a crowded press conference after the meeting. CM’s Adviser Rashid Rabbani, Provincial Information Secretary Fasihuddin Khan and Director for Information Iqbal Shaikh were also present.

She said the cabinet was informed that the food department had achieved its target of wheat procurement and further efforts were being made to procure more wheat.

The minister said the cabinet had decided to include the definition of “rural areas” as mentioned in the Sindh Gothabad Housing Act 1987 in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2000 in order to rehabilitate Goths in urban towns and dehs.

The cabinet also decided to move an amendment to the SLGO to include the provision of renaming of the district and talukas whose provision used to be in the Local Government Act, 1967.

Ms Marri recalled that carrying out this amendment to the SLGO was necessary to implement the resolution of the Sindh Assembly pertaining to the renaming of District Nawabshah as District Benazir Bhutto.

In reply to a question, the minister said that while reviewing the law and order situation, the cabinet was informed that the laws were being enforced strictly resulting in improvement in the situation.

The cabinet decided to take strict action against vehicles using tinted glasses, fancy number plates and vehicles without registration. The cabinet directed police to take action without any discrimination and not to spare even ministers, bureaucrats or politicians if found violating the rules.

Answering a question, she said re-employment in service of employees on a contract basis was a violation of Section 14(1) of the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973 which discouraged reemployment.

Ms Marri said reemployment of an officer also affected the promotion prospects of younger officers. But in the last many years reemployment contracts had been given to a large number of employees, as a result of which entry of fresh blood and promotion of juniors was blocked, affecting organizational output.

She said posting of officers in OPS (own pay and scale) against higher posts was contrary to good governance practices. However, she said, the cabinet had decided to do away with it.

In reply to another question, she said that in grades 1 to 11, there were 300 reemployed government servants while all departments were asked to provide lists of officers reemployed in their departments.