LAHORE: Dozens of daily wagers belonging to the NA-120 constituency of Lahore have been waiting for their salaries despite completing their job duration of three months in dengue health programme, Pakistan Today has learnt.
These daily wagers were recruited from different zones of Lahore during the by-election campaign of NA-120 in which Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate Kulsoom Nawaz defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Yasmin Rashid.
The NA-120 seat was left vacant after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif in Panama Papers case on July 28.
It was observed that after the announcement of by-polls, the ruling party had initiated development works in NA-120. The contesting opposition parties also alleged that government had created 10,000 jobs for the residents of the constituency.
According to sources, during the by-election campaign of NA-120, which was headed by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, people highlighted several issues regarding development and also demanded jobs. They said that where ruling party released funds for development projects of the constituency, it also recruited more than 4,000 residents from the constituency.
“These were recruited from different departments including Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Dengue Prevention and Control Programme and others on a daily wages basis. Most of them were recruited for a short period of time, which was up to three months,” they said, adding that around 100 persons were recruited from every union council falling under the constituency who were referred by the union council chairmen and local councillors.
A resident of UC-61, Irfan, told Pakistan Today that he was recruited as a daily wager in Dengue Prevention and Control Programme and was appointed in Iqbal Town zone in September for the duration of three months. He added that his job duration ended in November, but he was never paid with a single penny despite the completion of his job term.
Irfan said that he was recruited on the condition that his family will cast vote for Kulsoom Nawaz. “While I was recruited, I was promised that my contract will be renewed,” he said, adding that during this tenure, he also served on Polio duties against additional incentives which were also not paid.
A spokesman of the health department admitted that the payments of daily wagers, appointed in few zones, were still pending due to non-releasing of budgets. He said that the health department had released budget for the salaries of daily wagers of those zones who submitted their requisitions.
However, he said that deputy district officer (DDO) of Nishter Town, Shalimar Town, Aziz Bhatti Town and Wagha Town had not submitted their requisition for budget despite various reminders. He further said that Iqbal Town, Cantt and Data Ganj Bakhsh Town’s DDOs had submitted their budget requisition timely regarding daily wagers’ salaries, so their salaries had been released.