ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The future of over 100 daily wage employees working under the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) is in jeopardy because they have not been regularised due to non-availability of posts and funds.

The orders to regularise all employees on contracts and daily wages in various government departments were issued in March 2012 by a Cabinet subcommittee headed by Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid Shah.

Most of these employees are working as guards, computer operators, peons, sanitary workers, drivers and gardeners.

Some have been associated with the ICTA for nearly a decade and fear that with the general election around the corner their dream of becoming regular employees may never be realised.

In fact, with the present parliament dissolving in March, the next government is not under any obligation to implement the orders.

“Only two months are left for the current parliament and Cabinet, but the ICTA has not started the process of regularising employees and sending proposal to concerned authorities, including the interior and finance ministries,” an official in the ICTA told Dawn.

“The other government departments, such as the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Radio Pakistan and Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), have either regularised their employees or sent the proposal in this regard,” the official added.

The official alleged that the administration department responsible to implement the sub-committee’s directives has been subjected to red-tapism.

“They are making excuses of non-availability of posts and have taken advantage of the lack of interest by the committee, which has not followed up on the implementation of its orders,” the official said.

“The orders were received in the month of July and all the work about the regularisation process of such employees was completed three months ago, but now the file is lying in the office of the deputy director, Mohammad Munir,” he added.

On the other hand, Mr Munir told Dawn that only contractual employees were being regularised, and not daily wage workers because of non-availability of posts.

It is worth mentioning that all ICTA departments were asked to furnish details of vacant posts for such employees. Only the local government replied and 29 employees will be adjusted in it.

“New posts would have to be created for the remaining employees, which requires funds and approval from the Interior Ministry,” Mr Munir said.

“My office has been working over the issue for the regularisation of the employees and soon a summary will be sent to the interior and finance ministries,” he claimed.

Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid was not available to comment on the matter.