KP reverts to 60-year retirement age

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday reverted back to 60 years as the retirement age of the government servants from the previous 63-years, closed down educational institutions in nine districts in view of rising coronavirus cases and took several other decisions.

The decisions were taken by a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, said an official handout. Ministers, advisers, special assistants to the chief minister, secretaries took for debate a 14-agenda item and made a number of decisions.

Addressing the cabinet, Mahmood Khan directed the departments to ensure implementation on the development and public welfare schemes under time-tag in the remaining two and half years of the government.

Briefing the media on the decisions, ministers Kamran Bangash, Shahram Tarakai and Taimur Jhagra said the cabinet debated the pension reforms and decided to take the members of the government employees association on board in the final decision-making.

A 4-member committee was formed to be headed by Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra, Education Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai, Local Government Minister Akbar Ayub Khan and Labour Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai.

The committee would meet the Government Employees Association before a final decision on the new pension system. Mahmood Khan called upon the people to pay no heed to rumours. No one would be deprived of pensionary benefits, he added.

The cabinet approved the draft-law for “Innovation Endowment Fund” of Rs100 million for the Science and Technology to promote research and development in science and technology, support product development, efficient use of manpower, bring innovation in science and technology, etc, in the province.

The cabinet agreed to amend the Peshawar Development Authority Land Acquisition Act, making a formula for the acquisition of 200,000 kanal of land on the pattern of a partnership between the government and the land owners.

Under the formula, the owners of four-kanal land will be entitled to a one-kanal developed plot. However, the payment of the development charges would be worked out by the authority.

The cabinet approved to transfer 142-kanal of the land of Golf-Course at Kabal in Swat to Higher Education for the establishment of a university and women Campus. Up to 101-kanal land of the Golf-Club Swat would be allotted to establish the University of Engineering and Technology Swat. The remaining 40-kanal land of the Golf-Club would be transferred for the establishment of Paeds hospital and 2-kanal land for Rescue-1122 service building.

The cabinet also agreed to the necessary amendment in the schedule-VIII of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2017. The cabinet approved the screening test of ETEA foremployment to ensure merit and transparency. However, if ETEA does not have the capacity, then the ETEA will write a cogent reason to the relevant department and issue NOC so that a credible private testing agency could be hired for the purpose.

The cabinet also formed a high-level committee for the creation of new zones for Public Service Commission recruitments on the basis of population and poverty. The committee to be headed by Taimur Jhagra and its members as Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Riaz Khan, Taj Muhammad and Wazir Zada. The committee will finalise recommendations for approval by the cabinet.

The cabinet approved the upgrading of the faculty of Agriculture Gomal University of Dera Ismail Khan to a full-fledged Agriculture University. It approved the constitution of official and non-official members of the Workers Welfare Board for a period of three years as the tenure of the previous board had been completed.

The cabinet in consultation with the Chief Justice Peshawar High Court approved the posting of Justice Roohul Amin Khan, a judge of Peshawar High Court as administrative Judge for the Anti-Terrorism Court.

The cabinet approved the posting of District & Sessions Judges on the recommendation of the Peshawar High Court. Inamullah, Judge Anti-Terrorism Court Dera Ismail Khan, was transferred to the Peshawar High Court, Muhammad Wazir Judge Anti-Terrorism Court Swat was transferred and posted as Judge Anti-Terrorism Court DI Khan and Muhammad Aamir Nazir District & Sessions Judge was posted as judge Anti-Terrorism Court Peshawar.

The cabinet approved the closure of educational institutions in District Peshawar, Nowshera and other districts including Charsadda, Mardan,Swabi, Malakand, Kohat, Swat and Dir Lower from March 17, 2021 to March 28, 2021 in the wake of Coronavirus. The next strategy will follow after reviewing and observing the coronavirus situation. However, the staff and the teachers would be present and the parents would get their guidance for the education and examination for their kids.