PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday announced 25 per cent increase in salaries of provincial government employees from June 1.

Mr Khan made the announcement in a press conference, which was also attended by Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra, KP government spokesperson Karman Bangash and Minister for Labor Shaukat Yousafzai.

A statement issued here said that the chief minister also announced Rs4,000 monthly increase in pay of daily wagers. “The enhancement in salaries will be applicable from 1st June this year,” he said.

Mr Khan said that in addition, ad hoc relief would also be given to government employees in the upcoming budget. He also announced an increase of Rs4,000 in the minimum monthly wages of daily wagers from the next financial year thus fixing it at Rs21,000 from the existing Rs17,000 per month.

He felicitated the government employees for the salary enhancement and said that government fulfilled its promise of increasing their salaries even before the budget of new financial year.

He said that despite the financial crisis due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, the government decided to increase the salaries of employees substantially.

The chief minister said that government was taking all possible measures to give maximum relief to the vulnerable segments of society and it would continue to take such measures in future.

He said that government was aware of the financial difficulties faced by the employees in the prevailing circumstances. He said that government would utilise all the available resources to mitigate their difficulties and provide maximum relief to them so that they could perform their duties with devotion and full peace of mind.

Mr Khan termed the role of employees vital in implementing the policies of the government. He expressed the hope that they would play their important role in enforcement of the policies of the government and ensure improved service delivery to people.

He said that during the previous and present tenures of the PTI government in the province, the employees had been given unprecedented upgradation whereas numerous new employment opportunities were also created.

Talking about the increase in the monthly wages of daily wagers, Mr Khan said that wellbeing of the vulnerable segments of society and providing maximum relief to them was one of the focused areas of the government and important part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of welfare state.

He said that government was not only committed to translating the prime minister’s vision into reality but was also taking result-oriented steps to that effect.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2021