–The decision, taken in the light of top court’s instructions, will annul special financial benefits given to govt servants
LAHORE: The caretaker government of Punjab on Saturday suspended the special financial benefits or market-based salaries given to the government servants.
According to a notification issued by the Punjab government, all types of programmes, project allowances, pay packages, market-based salaries and other special dispensation as a part of the regular pay presently admissible in all organisations shall be discontinued with effect from July 1, 2018.
The suspension of market-based salary package will save up to Rs 70 crore per month. The market-based salary structure would apply to the government officers for the month of July.
The notification also said that all the previous notifications orders, procedures, guidelines in this behalf including operations of Review and Rationalisation Committee shall stand obviated.
It further said that the officers, officials so posted or appointed shall only be entitled to draw pay and such allowances as are admissible to them in their own pay scales in their own organisations/departments/secretariat plus deputation allowance, where application at 20 per cent of the basic pay scale subject to a maximum of Rs12,000 per month or as revised from time to time.
Moreover, the additional charge allowance at 20 per cent of the basic pay scale, subject to a maximum of Rs12,000 per month, or as revised from time to time, shall be admissible to government servants, assigned additional charge of post(s) in the subject entities/organisations.
However, the officers/officials under reference would be considered for grant of reward/honoraria under the provincial government’s existing policy on the subject.
Administrative secretary of the entities under his/her administrative control will review the performance of the said entities against their stated objectives and advise the government about the future pay structure of the public servant working in such entities so that a unified and well-thought framework can be developed in view of the business model of the entity.
However, this policy would not extend to the contract employees from the private sector.
According to the Punjab government, the decision has been taken in the light of court instructions.
TOP COURT’S INSTRUCTIONS:
Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, while hearing a suo motu notice over alleged corruption in 56 companies, had directed all the public servants working as heads of public sector companies to return the money received by them over and above their regular salaries to the government within one month.
The CJP ordered the heads of public sector companies to draw salaries as per their pay scales and return the excessive amounts, observing that no one would be allowed to plunder or misuse of taxpayers’ money with impunity.
He remarked that these companies were constituted to dole out heavy rewards to relatives.
In March, the chief justice had taken notice of the difference in salaries being paid to doctors working at government-owned health facilities and expressed concern at some government-run institutions paying doctors more than the other hospitals. During the hearing, the CJP gave the example of Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute (PKLI), where doctors are being paid Rs1.2 million while on the other hand, the ones working at government hospitals get Rs0.2 million.