78 employees of KP Tourism Dept forcibly sent to surplus pool

PESHAWAR: Despite adjusting regular employees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports, Tourism and Archeology department in KP Culture and Tourism Authority to meet the shortage of staff at the authority, fresh contract employees were hired instead, causing burden on exchequer and rendering as many as 78 regular employees in a surplus pool.

Expressing concern over the development, the surplus employees approached Peshawar High Court and the hearing is fixed for Friday (Today). Contrary to the amendment bill of Tourism Act, 2019, which accords an option to the employees of Directorate of Tourist Services either to join the authority or to join the surplus pool, the directorate of culture’s 78 employees were arbitrary referred to the surplus pool.

Secretary Culture Department, Abid Majeed said that the existing employees were being sent to the surplus pool under Section 8 of the Culture Act while the culture authority will recruit fresh ones. All the surplus employees will be adjusted in different departments.

Section 8(a) says the government shall create a surplus pool in the establishment department for employees of the directorate till the retirement of the last incumbent. These employees shall continue to enjoy all the benefits currently admissible to them and shall be entitled to receive their salaries and other benefits as if they had continued work against existing cadres or posts.

According to a letter, a copy of which is available to The News, “The Culture and Tourism Authority shall take over the administrative, financial and regulatory control of all activities, offices, projects, sub-offices, assets; including all movable and immovable assets and liabilities, such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, vehicles, records, data of the Directorate of Culture and it shall be ensured by the DG Culture and Tourism Authority as well as Directorate of Culture that smooth handing/taking takes place.”

One of the officers on condition of anonymity told that the directorate of culture forced 78 employees to go surplus pool with no option to join the authority service, adding, “Authority has hired the services of offices and employees on a contractual basis. Now the government will pay 78 employees of the surplus pool and fresh contractual employees.”