- PIMS spokesperson says issue will be sorted out without further ado
ISLAMABAD: Though the Finance Ministry has released Rs 100 million supplementary grant for the salaries of the postgraduate (PGs) trainees and house officers (HOs) working at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS); the hospital admin did not pay their salaries because the fund has been adjusted in other heads.
Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that the Finance Ministry released the grant of Rs 100 million to clear their salaries; however, the PIMS administration utilized the said the amount in some other heads instead of clearing the pays of the trainees and the houses officers.
Despite clear directives by the Supreme Court (SC), the salaries of the postgraduate trainees and house officers’ delayed for 20 and 25 days, they said. The sources said that the PIMS administration conveyed clearly to over 100 trainees and house officers that their salaries would be cleared in the next fiscal year.
A house officer wishing anonymity told this scribe that though the Eid was fast approaching, they did not do (Eid) shopping since they were not paid their salaries. He said that they raised the issue before the PIMS admin but no one bothers to take notice of the issue, adding that the (PIMS) executive director was doing nothing to clear their salaries before the annual festival.
A circular regarding disbursement of monthly salary issued with the approval of the accountant general reads, “Chief Justice of Pakistan in human rights case (1685-G of 2018) has directed that all the ministries/divisions and departments shall submit a certificate regarding disbursement of salary to all the employees i.e. regular, contract, contingent, daily wages and work charge basis, by fifth of each calendar month.”
The circular reads that all ministries/divisions/departments are therefore requested to ensure submission of salary bills of their employees who are not on the SAP/payroll system of AGPR by 25th of each month. The ministries/divisions/departments which are maintaining assignment accounts shall ensure clearance of their cheques of the assignment accounts before the target date positivity.
The ministries/division/departments who are mainlining assignment accounts are requested to get clearance of their quarterly releases by respective ministry/division and from AGPR accordingly. “All heads of departments are requested to direct staff concerned for timely submission of the salary claims and collection of cheques to ensure compliance of the directions of the Supreme Court,” the circular reads.
Despite repeated attempts, PIMS Executive Director Dr Amjid Pomi could not reached for his comments on the issue. When PIMS spokesperson Dr Wasim Khwaja said that there would be no such issue; however he quickly added if there was any such issue it would be sorted out without further delay.