ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel has recommended to the government to revive the federal government’s employment quota for the next 30 years through a constitutional amendment at the earliest.
The recommendation was approved by the Senate Functional Committee on Government Assurances which held its meeting here under the chairmanship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha.
The meeting commenced with deliberation on the employment quota provided in Article 27 of the Constitution of 1973.
Briefing the panel, Dr Ismat Tahira, Special Secretary Establishment Division said that the employment quota for Service of Pakistan was approved in 1973 Constitution for a period of 40 years which expired in 2013.
She added that the Establishment Division is of the opinion that the quota should further be extended for the next 20 years and it can be done only through the amendment in the Constitution of 1973. The committee members also recommended sub-quota for minorities. The committee appreciated the Establishment Division for announcing a special CSS examination to fill up the vacant posts of minorities which remained vacant over the years under the quota system.
Moreover, the assurances given by the then Minister Incharge of the Capital Administration and Development Division for the expansion of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Federal Government Poly Clinic Hospital and National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) Hospital were also discussed in detail.
Nasir uddin Mashood Ahmad, special secretary Ministry of National Health Services while briefing the committee said that five-acre land in G-11 Sector has been allocated for the expansion of Polyclinic Hospital which will be completed in three years.
He further said that 10 different projects relating to the expansion of PIMS have been completed which include mainly construction of a nursing hostel, upgradation of X-ray machines in Radiology Department, upgradation of Nephrology Department, installation of chillers for the mortuary, upgradation of existing facilities, and procurement of equipment for Ophthalmology Department and construction work on two projects named as Emergency Block, Mother and Child Block is still in process and it will be completed in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
The panel directed the Health Ministry to accelerate the ongoing expansion work and also rescheduled the liver transplantation program at PIMS Hospital.
However, as far as the expansion of the NIRM is concerned, the Special Secretary Ministry of Health apprised that six kanal land was allocated for the expansion of the NIRM but construction could not be initiated because the task force on health under the previous government has halted the process. The committee members directed the Health Ministry to restart the expansion of the NIRM on a priority basis as per the original plan.
Furthermore, the committee also discussed the assurances regarding the procurement of MRI machine in the Federal Government Poly Clinic. Nasir Uddin Mashood Ahmad told the committee that the MRI machine will be installed in the next three to four months and the major delay in the installation of MRI machine occurred due to the remodelling of site.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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