LAHORE, Feb 25: Induction of retired military officials into Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) against huge salaries and other benefits came under criticism in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday with the industries minister not being able to satisfy the opposition on the subject.

PML-N parliamentary party leader Rana Sanaullah Khan, in an adjournment motion, named some 16 retired colonels, majors and squadron leaders, who had been appointed in Tevta on salaries ranging between Rs35,000 and 60,000 a month along with other benefits.

He said retired officials were getting huge benefits after completing their normal service tenure in army at a time when highly qualified people were either running from pillar to post in search of jobs or getting very low salaries.

Still more objectionable, he said, was the fact that retired army officials had been appointed without any advertisement in the press or competition.

Law Minister Raja Basharat told the chair that the education minister was not present in the house and the matter should be kept pending.

However, industries minister Ajmal Cheema said he would address all the points raised in the adjournment motion.

As the minister failed to give satisfactory answers, the law minister argued that the appointments in question had neither been made by the PML-Q government nor by the preceding military rulers. The establishment of Tevta and appointments on its various posts had been made by the PML-N government when Mian Shahbaz Sharif was the Punjab chief minister, he said.

Deputy Speaker Shaukat Mazari, who was in the chair at that time, adjourned the motion for the next session.

The establishment of boards of governors for educational institutions would also be taken up along with the working of Tevta when the adjournment motion comes up for discussion.

In response to a question raised by opposition’s Samiullah Khan, the house was informed that retired and serving military officials had been appointed in various departments keeping in view the educational qualifications and experience of the officials.

The house was further told that heads of 22 institutions in the Punjab were either serving or retired military officials. According to the law, the assembly was informed, no post had been earmarked for civil or military officials. Retired or serving military officials were appointed in accordance with the government policy. Therefore, it was emphasized, there was no question of unrest in bureaucracy as a result of these inductions.