Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Shandana Gulzar on Monday informed the National Assembly that the government is not planning to fire any employee of the State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC). She said this while responding to a calling attention notice moved by Pakistan Peoples Party's lawmaker Shazia Marri and others. The SLIC employees have been protesting in Islamabad against a recent government's decision about their promotions and reduction in their commissions.
The parliamentary secretary said that corporation is facing an estimated loss of Rs 6 billion this year, Rs 8 billion next year, Rs 9.5 billion in 2021, and Rs 11.5 billion in 2022. She said the government is compelled to abolish cadre of sales officers in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan's requirements and to check growing losses of the corporation.
"We are offering sales officers to become sales representatives and enjoy 40 percent commission instead of 20 percent at present they are drawing," she said, adding that the second option given to the SLIC sales officers is to accept the post of sales manager which included job security, medical coverage, and additional bonuses.
She said about 8,000 out of 21,000 sales officers have already opted for sales manager and the government's offer is still intact for the rest. Responding to another calling attention notice, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari called for strict regulations for government and private hospitals to regulate hiring of staff to avoid incidents of deaths at the hands of unqualified paramedics.
It was moved by Muhammad Alamgir Khan and others on death of an innocent child, Nishwa due to doctors' negligence in a private hospital in Karachi. The minister said since health is the devolved subject under 18th amendment of the Constitution, provincial governments should formulate rules and regulations to avert such incidents and protect lives of the people.
During Question Hour, Railways Parliamentary Secretary Furrukh Habib informed the House that Pakistan Railways earned over Rs 35 billion up to March this year, which is Rs 3 billion more than the revenue earned during the same period of the last financial year.
Responding to another question, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said no cut has been made in Benazir Income Support Programme allocation. He said the government has allocated all the planned funds to BISP and there is no proposal to rename the programme.
He, however, said BISP has been placed under the umbrella of recently launched Ehsas Programme by Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said the BISP graduation programme consists of two models namely Business Incubation for Self-Employment and Direct Cash for Start-up Business models, and it has been approved by the government.
The minister of state said that using poverty score card method, around 7.7 million eligible families are identified. He also informed the National Assembly that Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation is an important organisation and an asset of the nation and the PTI government is committed for its up-gradation and development.
The minister said directions have been given to Radio Pakistan to extend its transmissions round the clock in Chitral like other parts of the country to provide best information, news, and entertainment. He said Saut-ul-Quran should be included in Radio Pakistan's broadcasts in Chitral, along with news and good entertainment programmes.
He said Radio Pakistan has been asked to go for solar technology to save diesel so that it could be used in running generators for main transmissions. The National Assembly also adopted a resolution moved by Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Dr Nausheen Hamid to extend the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Ordinance, 2019 for a period of one hundred and twenty days with effect from fifth of the next month.
The House passed "The Heavy Industries Taxila Board (Amendment) Bill, 2019" moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan. Speaking on the floor of the House, Asad Mahmood of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) said that his party rejects the army's announcement of mainstreaming the religious seminaries. "This is a job of the policymakers and the government should come forward on it," he added.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi urged the speaker to follow agenda of the day to prevent ruckus in the House and resolve genuine issues of the masses including recent hike in electricity and gas tariffs.
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