LAHORE, May 31: Most Punjab government departments have opposed the contract appointment policy adopted in 2004 on the plea that “it has failed to achieve the cherished ideal of cost-effective and good governance”.

The departments have given their opinion on the subject in response to an exercise, which the provincial government has reportedly started to assess the efficacy of the contract appointment policy made by the PML-Q government under pressure from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

Official sources informed Dawn on Saturday that most departments had maintained that the policy had failed to achieve the desired result of employing efficient people without the liability of pension and provident fund. Therefore, they said, it should be dropped.

Officials said the policy was a part of the World Bank and the ADB conditionalities. Right now, the ADB is also giving two consultants to the provincial government to help it review the policy.-— Intikhab Hanif