ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: The National Assembly standing committee on information technology and telecommunications has constituted a five-member sub-committee with MNA Gyan Chand Singh as its convener to examine the appointments and promotions in PTCL from BPS-17 to 21.

According to a press release, the decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the committee held under the chairmanship of MNA Mohammad Tahir Shah here on Saturday.

Taking cognizance of recent appointments and promotions made by the PTCL management without considering the company employees fulfilling the prescribed criteria, the sub-committee would probe and report to the committee in its next meeting.

The committee also took serious note of the promotions of three PTCL employees directly from grade 11 to 17. The committee, therefore, directed the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom to hold an inquiry and report to it.

Later, Minister for IT and Telecom Awais Leghari briefed the committee on the PTCL performance, company's promotion criteria and installation of telephone exchanges in NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan during 2004-05.

He informed the committee that the PTCL had planned to expand its network through copper-based conventional technology and modern technologies throughout the country. After the implementation of expansion plan, the telephone capacity in Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan will be doubled, he added.

He said the PTCL had embarked upon a massive development plan to meet the public demand. It has changed its policy by focusing on development of rural areas and decided to provide telecommunication facilities to 50 per cent of villages by December 2004, he added.

The committee also directed the IT ministry to expand existing network of Ufone on priority basis to areas where the cellular phone facility had not been provided yet.

The committee asked the IT minister to direct the PTCL management to give 15 per cent increase in the salaries as announced by the government in budget 2004-05.

The meeting was attended by Minister for IT and Telecommunications Awais Leghari, Parliamentary Secretary for IT Riffat Javed Khaloon, MNAs Gyan Chand Singh, Sahibzada Mohammad Mehboob Sultan, Rafique Ahmad Jamali, Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed Virk, Ghulam Ali Nizamani, Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, Bilquees Saif, Dr Nasim Afridi, Raja Mohammad Asad Khan, Secretary IT and Telecom and other senior officers of the departments concerned.