Punjab Assembly passes 'The Bahawalpur Metropolitan University Bill, 2021'

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed The Bahawalpur Metropolitan University bill 2021, The Superior College (Amendment Bill) 2021 and The University of Chenab Bill 2021. The session started 1 hour 50 minutes late under the chair of speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.

Pakistan People's Party Parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza while speaking on the point of order said that cancer patients were not getting medicines in the province. He also said employees of Punjab Health Facilities Management Company are protesting on the Mall Road for the last two days. He also said why government is not solving their issues.

Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervez Elahi said that he himself is monitoring the situation regarding availability of medicines to cancer patients. Elahi said that he talked to Health Minister Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid and she assured him that issue will be solved soon.

Law Minister Raja Basharat assured Pervez Elahi that issue of land for the Rescue 1122 building in Faisalabad will be resolved soon.

Raja Basharat said that the protest ongoing on Mall Road since yesterday has been ended after the successful negotiations of the protesting employees of Health Facilities Management Company (HFMC) Punjab with the Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat on Tuesday. Chairman of HFMC Suhail Ahmad, Special Secretary Health, SSP Civil Lines and relevant officers were also present.

Raja Basharat thanked the protesting employees for opening the Mall Road unconditionally last day at his request. He said that PTI government was now redressing the grievances of the employees created by the previous government. He said that better solutions would be worked out by removing the legal loopholes in the problems of the employees while usual policy of dismissal from service would be relaxed.

Raja Basharat said that he raised a strong voice for protesters in the Punjab Assembly today, so they should give up the protest and give priority to negotiations as matter would be resolved according to their satisfaction. Earlier, the employees' representatives said that their salary had not exceeded Rs20,000 for last 16 years, so they should be given regular service structure like other employees.

The chairman of the company said that the employees could work up to 65 years of age as per the rules and after retirement they would also get EOBI pension for life.

Raja Basharat convened another meeting next week to review the progress on the demands of the employees.

Employees said that they were grateful to the law minister for his sympathetic efforts to find a solution and resolve their long-standing problems and promised not to lock down any BHU and come on roads in the future.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021