Islamabad:
The Federal Minister of Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, said that the government did not close the corporation of public service stores (USC) and that there was no threat to its regular and contractual employees.
“The government is only closing non -profitable USC stores that have been created in unnecessary places,” Hussain told High House on Friday.
The Minister, however, admitted that there are proposals under study to restructure, privatize or manage USC affairs on a public-private partnership basis “with the consultation of the Allied parties”.
He said the government provides a subsidy of 50 billion rupees to the USC to facilitate the public to provide cheaper second -hand items.
Last year, the government provided an amount of 17 billion rupees at the USC as part of the Ramazan rescue package. However, he said, the amount was not used correctly to facilitate the people.
He said the federal government had now increased the Ramazan package to 20 billion rupees this year.
Hussain said the country moved
The right direction “under the dynamic direction” of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Pakistan’s position has been reinforced worldwide and the confidence of international financial institutions and major powers shows that government’s economic policies are correct,” he said.
A report published in the Express PK Press Club on February 16 revealed that the government had decided to dismiss the daily wage employees of the USC as part of its “rights” policy
This decision, which will affect around 2,500 to 2,600 workers, was approved earlier by the USC board of directors.
According to sources, the employee dismissal guidelines had already been published by the respective zonal offices, signaling the start of the workforce reduction process.
Releases comply with the wider policy of the government of rationalization of workforce and reduction of expenses. The decision is part of the restructuring efforts in progress within the USC, which was under financial tension.
Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Law, Azam Nazeer Tarar, told the House that the peaceful protest was a fundamental right of each citizen, but he must take place in the parameters established by law.
The Minister responded to the concerns raised by Senator Sherry Rehman with regard to the use of force against the protest of government employees.
Tarar said the disturbances were caused by demonstrators at the Pakistani secretariat, a crucial institution that serves citizens in all regions of the country, including the remote areas of Balutchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab.
He said such disruptions are of the provision of public services. The secretariat, he said, should not be retained hostage by these actions.
The Minister also mentioned that the Prime Minister had asked the relevant officials to speak with the demonstrators to respond to their concerns and find resolutions.
“The Minister of Finance is actively involved in negotiations with Protestant employees, and the government is committed to responding to their legitimate requests,” he said.
Tarar noted that the PM assured that all employees offered to early retirement or placed in the surplus basin will have their entirely protected rights.
