KP Assembly forms special body to probe ‘ghost’ employees
* MPA refers to several ghost schemes in his constituency and demands proper inquiry
APP

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday constituted a special house committee for investigation into ghost employees in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department of the province.

The decision was taken after a question raised by PML-N MPA Mohammad Shiraz regarding construction of a water supply scheme in Swabi district.

The legislator said that actually the scheme had no existence and requested the Speaker to refer the matter to the concerned house committee. He mentioned several other such schemes in his constituency and demanded proper inquiry into the matter. In response to the question of the opposition legislator, Provincial Minister Shah Farman said that he had no objections over referring the matter to any committee, Anti-Corruption Establishment or National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The minister also proposed the constitution of a committee comprising of two MPAs from Swabi district and officials of Anti-Corruption Establishment to probe the matter. Speaker Asad Qaiser who himself hails from Swabi district said that his own provincial assembly constituency also had seventeen such cases, therefore, it needs conducting of a proper inquiry.

The Speaker proposed a special committee of the House to which all members were to refer their problems while another PML-N MPA Raja Faisal Zaman asked the chair to head the committee himself. He said that the committee would prepare its report within a period of one month. The Speaker also referred the call attention notice of Arbab Jehandad Khan of PTI regarding action against two private hospitals including Rehman Medical Complex and North-West Hospital, Hayatabad to the standing committee on health.

The PTI MPA in his call attention notice had raised the matter of closure of emergency service of both hospitals refusing treatment to the injured of the imambargah suicide attack. He said that in case of death of any patient, the management of these hospitals refused to hand over the dead body till payment of the bill. Furthermore, he said that even in case of an accident, they did not admit patients until advance payment was made.

Jehandad demanded the provincial government take action against both private hospitals, as they were working for provision of medical facilities to the people and not for earning money. Special Assistant to CM on Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Arif Yousaf, also seconded the contentions of the MPA. He said that the attitude of the management of these hospitals was not proper with the people. He said that the Provincial Health Commission had served notice on them, but they had not responded.

Meanwhile, the KP assembly on Monday also unanimously passed “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Bill, 2015” suggesting constitution of vigilance committees at district level and six months imprisonment with fine to the violators. The bill was moved by Minister for Labour and Public Health Shah Farman who said that it aimed to end slavery and debt bondage in all its manifestations, and regulate matters leading to debt bondage of workers, as the law relating to the prohibition of debt bondage had been devolved to the provinces in the wake of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution.

The bill proposes constitution of vigilance committees at district level, comprising the representatives of district administration, bar associations, press, Labour Department and elders of the areas to ensure its effective implementation, help rehabilitation of the freed boned labour, keep an eye on the working of the law and provide the bonded labour with assistance and support. The bill was unanimously passed by the House.

Meanwhile, Advisor to Chief Minster for Law Arif Yousaf moved “The KP Establishment of Information Technology Board (Amendment) Bill, 2015” which was also approved by the assembly unanimously.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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