NA body on Govt Assurances meets

ISLAMABAD: The employees of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police which performed duties during Budget Sessions 2016-17 and 2017-18, in the Parliament House, Islamabad should be paid honoraria.

It was recommended in a meeting of the Standing Committee on Government Assurances on Tuesday. The Committee was informed that the then Minister for Finance had announced honoraria for the employees of different departments, who had performed duty in the Parliament House, during Budget Sessions. All the departments have paid the honoraria to their employees except ICT Police.

The Committee expressed its concerns over non payment of honoraria to the employees of ICT Police. The Committee directed that the honoraria should be paid to them within fifteen days. However, an interim progress report may be furnished within seven days. The Committee directed that if the honoraria would not be paid then the Secretary Finance and Secretary Interior would be held responsible.

The Committee was informed that the employees of PTVC have been paid the honoraria. The Committee appreciated the action taken by PTVC authorities.

The Committee directed Power Division to address the issue of load shedding in the District Buner within four weeks and submit weekly reports to National Assembly.

The Committee recommended that the Ministry of Housing and Works, should give equal status to the employees of National Assembly Secretariat and Senate Secretariat, equal to the other Civil Servants with respect to the allotment of houses and plots.

The Committee directed Ministry of Commerce to give briefing to Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh about the steps taken to enhance exports and submit report within seven days to the National Assembly.

The Standing Committee on Government Assurances constituted a Sub-Committee under Convenership of Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, MNA to monitor all pending Assurances and get them implemented. Other Members of the Sub-Committee will be Dr. Fouzia Hameed, MNA, Malik Ibrar Ahmed, MNA and Abdul Majeed Khan Khanankhail, MNA.

Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana presented two reports of two Sub-Committees to the Standing Committee and informed the delayed Project of Bridge over river Ravi at Syedwala Patan, District Nankana Sahib has been completed due to efforts of the Sub-Committee. However, National Highway Authority (NHA) did not make the payment for land compensation to the affected people of the Bridge.

The meeting was presided over by the Chairman Standing Committee of National Assembly on Government Assurances Muhammad Afzal Khokhar and the meeting was attended by Members National Assembly Abdul Majeed Khan Khanankhail, Ms. Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, Chaudhry Muhammad Munir Azhar, Syed Sajid Mehdi, Malik Ibrar Ahmed, Rajab Ali Khan Baloch, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, Shafqat Mahmood, Dr. Fouzia Hameed and Sher Akbar Khan, MNA, Minister of State for Commerce, Secretary Housing and Works, Secretary Parliamentary Affairs, and Additional Secretary, Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage and others senior Civil Officers were also present in the meeting.