KP Assembly legislates to regularise over 3,000 doctors

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday passed a private member’s bill seeking regularisation of the services of 3,281 doctors, including specialists serving in different hospitals and health centres across the province.

PPP MPA Fakhar Azam tabled the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Employees of Health Department (Regularisation of Services) Bill, 2017, which was unanimously passed though the health department had opposed regularisation of doctors.

Official sources said the health department had informed the assembly secretariat that the ‘provincial government is not in favour of the non-official bill.’

However, the ruling PTI and its allies fully supported the private member’s bill.

Health minister Shahram Tarakai, who was present in the house, didn’t oppose the bill.

“The smooth sailing of the private member’s bill moved by the opposition shows clear division between the civil and political bureaucracy,” said an official while commenting on the issue.

The legislation will help regularise the jobs of a total of 3,281 doctors, who were appointed on ad-hoc or contractual basis to civil and project posts in the province.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Planning and Monitoring Cell, Irrigation Employees (Regularisation of Services) Bill, 2017, tabled by Fakher Azam and other MPAs on the private members’ day was also passed.

Dr Maher Taj Roghani and Rashida Rifat also tabled the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dowry, Bridal Gift and Marriage Functions Restriction Bill, 2017 in the house.

The bill suggested the establishment of effective systems to regulate marriage functions and provide restrictions on dowry and bridal gifts.

The bill stated that the aggregate value of the gift amount or articles given to bride by her parents or any other family members shall not exceed the amount of ten thousand rupees.

“There shall be total ban on dowry articles either given by parents or any other family member or any other person to the bride. It further said that total expenditures on a marriage excluding the value of bridal gifts and parents but including the expenses on baarat or valima incurred by or on behalf of either party for each ceremony shall not exceed seventy five thousands rupees.”

It added that a person or family celebrating nikkah or baarat or organising the marriage of any other person would not serve or allow anyone to serve meals or other edibles except beverages to the people participating in the ceremony and that only one dish of rice, one dish of gravy and one sweet dish would be allowed.

Meanwhile, the opposition criticised the government for financial crunch and ignoring its constituencies in development schemes.

The debate on the issue was opened by leader of the opposition Maulana Lutfur Rehman.

Speaker Asad Qaisar chaired the sitting.

The opposition leader accused the government of concentrating on specific constituencies and ignoring development schemes in the constituencies of its (opposition) lawmakers.

He said despite the commitment of the chief minister, the opposition was not consulted on the preparation of the annual development programme.

Mr Rehman said in his speech on the annual budget for financial year 2016-17, he had termed it as deficit one.

He said the provincial government had reflected a receipt of Rs33 billion in the head of the net profit on electricity but it had received 50 per cent less than the target.

The opposition leader said due to the wrong policies of the provincial government, the province faced a financial crunch and therefore, the government should arrange a briefing to the take house into confidence on it.

Raja Faisal Zaman of the PML-N declared the withholding of the ADP schemes of the opposition legislators an injustice and said the fate of the upcoming development programme would be no different from the current year’s.

He said no one from the government was here to hear the opposition’s grievances and that the speaker should take up the matter with the chief minister for corrective measures.

Mufti Fazal Ghafoor of the JUI-F complained about the absence of the provincial ministers and members of the treasury benches from the proceedings.

He said the presence of the only three cabinet members and empty treasury benches spoke about the lack of interest of the government in the proceedings.

The session was later prorogued.

Source: Dawn