G-B seeks federal nod for regularising 2,921 contingent employees

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Finance Department has forwarded a proposal to the Federal Finance Division, Islamabad, seeking approval to regularise 2,921 contingent-paid employees working in various departments.

The proposal has been submitted in pursuance of the minutes of the meeting held on 11th September 2023 on the subject cited above and to say that Services & General Administration Department, GB vide letter No.6(4)/2021-Estt-IV-Services dated November 28, 2023.

The proposed positions include 2,609 BPS (Basic Pay Scale) wise posts, 126 leftover positions, and 186 Class-IV employee slots. These posts are intended for individuals appointed before July 2016, under the auspices of the Gilgit-Baltistan Employees (Regularization of Services) Act, 2020.

The proposal quotes the Gilgit-Baltistan Employees (Regulation of Services) Act, stating “All such contingent employees who are working in different departments of GB appointed before July, 2016 and biometrically verified shall be regularized after creation of regular/permanent posts after getting concurrence/approval from Federal Finance Ministry through GB Finance Department”.

Moreover, the proposal also quoted the GB Finance Act, 2023, which stipulates that no new posts can be created or upgraded without prior approval from the Federal Finance Division and the GB Cabinet, respectively. The request encompasses financial implications amounting to Rs980.421 million, a substantial investment aimed at formalising the employment status of nearly three thousand workers in the region.

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The regularization effort underscores a significant push towards addressing employment concerns in the region, catering to workers who have been part of the G-B administrative machinery on a contingent basis. The regularisation initiative is keenly awaited by the affected employees and is viewed as a pivotal moment in the region’s administrative reforms.

The then PML-N government passed the G-B Contingent and Contractual Employees Regularisation Act in the GB Assembly in 2020. Despite repeated assurances from the government to implement the act and issue appointment letters to all the contingent and contractual employees, the promises have yet to be fulfilled.