ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Subcommittee on Science and Technology on Tuesday returned the Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) bill to the main committee with proposed amendments aimed at safeguarding the interests of its employees.

The main committee had blocked the proposed bill to make the PCRET an autonomous organisation until grievances of its 240 employees were addressed.

The employees had approached the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology fearing that they would lose benefits and perks, including pension, if PCRET was made an autonomous body.

Subcommittee returns Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies bill to main committee

After deliberations on the bill, the main committee had constituted the subcommittee to address the concerns of the employees.

PCRET under the Ministry of Science and Technology has been mandated to develop alternative and renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and hydropower to assist the government in tackling the energy crisis in the country.

The subcommittee at a meeting observed that the employees had been demanding that their financial matters such as salary, pension, gratuity and benevolent fund should be continued through the office of the auditor general of Pakistan after enactment of the bill.

The Ministry of Science and Technology, however, maintained that it had been mentioned in the proposed bill that employees of the dissolved council would be transferred to the council or they can opt to remain civil servants under the Civil Servants Act 1973. Officials from the ministry informed the committee that the employees would have 90 days to decide after the bill was enacted.

The employees who opt to remain civil servants would be entitled to all privileges and facilities of the federal government.

“Interests of the existing employees have been safeguarded to the maximum just as the committee had recommended. Their jobs are secure with all the benefits. Those who decide to opt to work as public servants after PCRET becomes autonomous will have separate salary and health packages with other perks,” said ministry’s Joint Secretary Mohammad Ashraf.

MNA Usman Khan Tarakai said: “We have achieved our objective of safeguarding the welfare of the employees. It is the need of the hour that PCRET is given autonomy to become competitive in the market and introduce better renewable technologies.”

At the last meeting while the National Assembly committee recognised PCRET’s contributions in continuous assistance to help the local industry grow and develop renewable energy technologies, members said the organisation had made no landmark achievements.

Chairman of the committee, MNA Aftab Shaban Mirani of the PPP, said PCRET must progress and make advances in developing renewable technologies.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2017