Eid gift for the unemployed: Punjab government abolishes 7,950 LBs vacancies

Rawalpindi

The Punjab government has abolished 7,950 vacant posts in all the municipal committees, town committees and municipal corporations throughout the province. There is no mention of these posts in the budget for next financial year. 

The decision has dampened the spirits of educated unemployed everywhere. The youth of Rawalpindi were particularly disappointed as they aspired to get one of the 200 vacant pots in Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC). Same was the condition in Murree where 170 posts have been abolished. They have denounced the decision and sarcastically termed it “Eid gift’ from the government. 

The posts abolished include those of sub-engineers, peons, gardeners, clerks, key punch operators, supervisors, baildars, drivers etc.  Special Secretary to Local Government having the additional charge of DG Local Government Shahid Nasar Raja has confirmed to ‘The News’ the abolition of posts and that a notification has also been issued in this regard. He added that finance department has also been directed to delete the posts. He also said that we have created posts in provincial set up to adjust surplus employees in different departments. We have adjust surplus employees in different departments but not in the Local Council Services (LCS) set up, he said.   

It is worth mentioning here that Local Council Services (LCS) system is completely different from Provincial system. The municipal corporations, municipal committees and municipal towns are under control of Local Council Services (LCS) system working under local governments.

The Punjab government had imposed a ban on recruitment against any vacant post in the metropolitan corporation, municipal corporations, municipal committees and district councils till final approval of Schedules of Establishment (SoEs) by the competent authority. The ban has been imposed on all kinds of recruitment, including contract, regular, work charged or even daily wagers.

Now, Punjab government has silently abolished thousands of vacant posts from municipal corporations, municipal committees and municipal towns in the province.

Earlier, Punjab government had also told all divisional commissioners and district coordination officers that the posts of executive district officer (EDO) finance and planning, EDO (community development) and district officer (human resource management) will be abolished upon promulgation of the Punjab Local Government Act (PLGA) 2013, which will also repeal the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001.

District governments will become non-existent on promulgation of the PLGA and a new set-up will come into existence under the new law. Therefore, certain posts need to be abolished and others created for successful and smooth transition of the local government system.

It is necessary that some offices be created that can inherit the legacy of the offices for smooth transition. Therefore, the government is replacing three posts of additional deputy commissioner (ADC) finance and planning, ADC (general) and ADC (headquarters).

The Punjab government had also directed that the offices, resources, staff, inventory and complete record of the offices of EDO (finance and planning), EDO (community development) and district officer (human resource management) must be preserved and properly maintained by the three incoming ADCs so that they do not have to face any problem. Now, ADCs are working.

The posts of EDOs of health and education have also been abolished with the creation of health and education authorities. Other EDOs and district offices have been disbanded and returned to their parent departments when new local governments starts functioning.

Talking to ‘The News’, some educated unemployed youth have strongly protested abolishment of vacant posts and said that they were hoping of government to create more posts and allocate resources for the purpose. They were visibly disappointed and criticized the callous government that is snatching bread and butter of the poor.

Muhammad Shadaab, Munawar Hussain, Malik Rafaqat, Nazia Baloch, Mukhtar Hussain and several others said, “We had applied against vacant posts in municipal corporation, municipal committee and municipal town. We were hoping for getting employment but all in vain. Our kind government has given us a big Eid Gift in the shape of abolishment of vacant posts,” they said ironically.