Bill introduced in Sindh Assembly to empower provincial govt to run examination boards

A bill was tabled in the Sindh Assembly on Monday to amend the Sindh Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Act whose likely passage by the House will enable the provincial government to depute bureaucrats to serve in key positions of the public sector examination boards in the province.

After its introduction in the House, the bill was referred to the relevant standing committee of the assembly whose members have been given a week to examine the contents of the proposed law.

The standing committee will present its report on the bill in the assembly next week. The proposed law will amend the procedure for the appointment of chairmen, secretaries and controller of examinations of the educational boards.

The bill will also enable the government to transfer any grade-19 officer to serve on the educational boards. The controlling authority for the affairs of the examination boards in Sindh will be the chief minister or any provincial minister designated by him.

The final authority to appoint officials of the educational boards either through direct inductions or transfer of government servants will rest with the Sindh CM. A steering committee will be formed to oversee the affairs of the educational boards in Sindh. One of the members of the proposed steering committee will be an official of the Sindh government’s services and general administration department.

Meanwhile, journalists covering the proceedings of the Sindh Assembly resorted to vocal protest in the press gallery of the assembly during the session against the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

Speaking in the house, Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar acknowledged the protest lodged by the concerned journalists against the amendments to Peca. He said the Pakistan Peoples Party had a clear stance on this issue.

He said the viewpoint of the concerned fraternity of media persons on this issue would be presented before the federal government. Lanjar, however, said the culture of fake news should come to an end in the country. He said the news media should not be used to unduly disgrace someone.

He acknowledged the important role the institution of media was playing in society. He said the reservations of the media persons should be presented to the relevant government authorities.