50-member staff approved for monitoring NIP
January 13, 2010
Islamabad
To ensure proper monitoring and evaluation of the National Internship Programme (NIP) at regional and provincial levels, the Ministry of Finance has finally approved a 50-member staff for the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MoYA).
Source in the Ministry of Youth Affairs told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that uptil now, the mega project aimed at providing useful job experience of one-year to educated youth, was run by a staff of only 19 members at the federal level. “There was no staff to monitor the project at regional or provincial levels,” said the source.
He said that when the project was handed over to the Ministry of Youth Affairs by the Establishment Division, the total number of staff members was 35 that were later reduced to 19. The source said that for effective monitoring and implementation of NIP, the ministry demanded an additional staff of 70 persons to set up at least nine regional offices in the country.
The NIP is the biggest project on the portfolio of the Ministry of Youth Affairs for which the government has allocated Rs3.6 billion for the fiscal year 2009-10. Before being handed over to the ministry, the Establishment Division, which provided internship to 26,000 qualified youth in 2007, was managing the project.
In 2008, around 75,000 students applied for the programme. Among them, 54,000 were found eligible. However, the procedure of short listing and recruitment came to a standstill at that time, as the Establishment Division was not provided with appropriate funds.
For the year 2009, the ministry had received around 70,000 applications. Out of these, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has 12,000 applications and the names of successful candidates have been forwarded to provincial governments for their placement. “The placement at the federal level will also start within this week,” the source told ‘The News’.
He said that the placement of youth from Malakand has already started which will be followed by placement on special seats announced by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani for youth from Balochistan. He said that some relaxation has also been made for youth from Sindh.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs recently, the ministry has released funds amounting to Rs588.9 million to Punjab, Rs307.9 million to Sindh, Rs307 million to NWFP, Rs5.4 million to Balochistan, Rs1.5 million to AJK, Rs7.2 million to FATA, Rs6.5 million to the Gilgit-Baltistan and Rs65 million to the Islamabad Capital Territory for payment to internees.
Blaming shortage of staff for slow selection and placement process, the official hoped that the staff approved by the Ministry of Finance would help speed up the process. He said the new staff would be hired by the end of January. Currently, the post of Director General NIP is also lying vacant following the retirement of DG NIP Ashiq Abbasi in December.
To ensure proper monitoring and evaluation of the National Internship Programme (NIP) at regional and provincial levels, the Ministry of Finance has finally approved a 50-member staff for the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MoYA).
Source in the Ministry of Youth Affairs told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that uptil now, the mega project aimed at providing useful job experience of one-year to educated youth, was run by a staff of only 19 members at the federal level. “There was no staff to monitor the project at regional or provincial levels,” said the source.
He said that when the project was handed over to the Ministry of Youth Affairs by the Establishment Division, the total number of staff members was 35 that were later reduced to 19. The source said that for effective monitoring and implementation of NIP, the ministry demanded an additional staff of 70 persons to set up at least nine regional offices in the country.
The NIP is the biggest project on the portfolio of the Ministry of Youth Affairs for which the government has allocated Rs3.6 billion for the fiscal year 2009-10. Before being handed over to the ministry, the Establishment Division, which provided internship to 26,000 qualified youth in 2007, was managing the project.
In 2008, around 75,000 students applied for the programme. Among them, 54,000 were found eligible. However, the procedure of short listing and recruitment came to a standstill at that time, as the Establishment Division was not provided with appropriate funds.
For the year 2009, the ministry had received around 70,000 applications. Out of these, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has 12,000 applications and the names of successful candidates have been forwarded to provincial governments for their placement. “The placement at the federal level will also start within this week,” the source told ‘The News’.
He said that the placement of youth from Malakand has already started which will be followed by placement on special seats announced by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani for youth from Balochistan. He said that some relaxation has also been made for youth from Sindh.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs recently, the ministry has released funds amounting to Rs588.9 million to Punjab, Rs307.9 million to Sindh, Rs307 million to NWFP, Rs5.4 million to Balochistan, Rs1.5 million to AJK, Rs7.2 million to FATA, Rs6.5 million to the Gilgit-Baltistan and Rs65 million to the Islamabad Capital Territory for payment to internees.
Blaming shortage of staff for slow selection and placement process, the official hoped that the staff approved by the Ministry of Finance would help speed up the process. He said the new staff would be hired by the end of January. Currently, the post of Director General NIP is also lying vacant following the retirement of DG NIP Ashiq Abbasi in December.
