CHANDIGARH:   Punjab Chief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal said here Wednesday that the process of approval by the special committee on recruitment headed by the Chief Secretary would be expedited so that vacancies in different departments could be filled up soon.

Badal said that different departments were being asked to submit their requirements with regard filling up of vacancies to the Recruitment Committee.

An assurance to this effect was given by  Badal to the deputation of Punjab Employees Action Committee led by its convenor  Ranbir Dhillon in the meeting held at Chief Minister's official residence this morning.

It may be recalled that SAD-BJP government had already recruited 14000 teachers, 100 doctors and 200 SDOs (PSEB) till date.

According to the Chief Minister's Media Advisor Harcharn Bains the chief minister responded to the various issues raised by Punjab Employees Action Committee and directed the Chief Secretary to issue detailed guidelines to all the Heads of the Departments and the Administrative Secretaries to hold the meeting of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) twice a year. Likewise, Mr. Badal also asked Chief Secretary to explore the possibility of delegating some of powers with regard to the promotions and recruitment to the Head of the Departments to avoid unnecessary delay in this process.

The Chief Minister also informed the deputation that the state government had asked the Fifth Punjab Pay Commission to submit its report at the earliest to enable the government to implement the revised scales and allowances to its employees and pensioners w.e.f. 1.1.2006 accordingly.

Referring to other demands of the Punjab Employees Action Committee relating to the regularization of the services of employees/teachers on contract basis & daily wages and the restoration of the old pension scheme instead of 'Contributory Pension Scheme' for the employees recruited on or after 1.1.2004, besides the implementation of High Court's decision of commutation of pension, Badal also asked the Chief Secretary to examine these demands sympathetically to work out the modalities before taking a final decision.

The Chief Minister also asked the representatives of the deputation to submit their views and suggestions in writing to the concerned officers in CMO with regard to the privatization and corporatrization besides the issue of handing over the schools and hospitals to Zila Prishads and Polytechnics/ITIs to the societies to enable the government to make a comprehensive policy to bring back these institutions in the government fold.

The meeting was attended by the Advisor to the Chief Minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Chief Minister's Media Advisor  Harcharn Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister  D.S. Guru, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gagandeep Singh Brar, OSD/CM, Director General School Education  Krishan Kumar, DPI (Secondary) Mrs. Harcharnjit Kaur Brar.

The Punjab Employees Action Committee was represented by  Sucha Singh Khatra, Sukhwinder Singh,  Hari Singh Tohra,  Sucha Singh Ajnala and  Bhupinder Singh Waraich (all convenors).