QUETTA, (Parliament Times) : A high level meeting chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan was given a detailed briefing by the Finance Department on Dispute Reduction Allowance and ongoing protests of employees on the current situation. The meeting was given a detailed briefing on Disability Reduction Allowance while also reviewing the allowances given to various departments to close the gap in the salaries of the employees. The meeting was informed that in the last two and a half years, government employees have been given substantial relief in salaries, group insurance, pension and other issues are being resolved immediately, more than three thousand group insurance cases have been resolved. By next June, the Group Insurance and Benevolent Fund will be fully automated. The meeting was also apprised of the latest status of negotiations with the protesting employees and the burden on the exchequer in case of payment of 25% allowance. During the meeting, a high-level parliamentary committee was also formed to negotiate with the protesting employees, who will meet the representatives of the protesting employees and discuss their demands and solutions. Coalition party members also made suggestions during the meeting. Apart from members of allied parties, the meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, parliamentary secretaries including Chief Secretary Balochistan, Additional Chief Secretary Home, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, IG Police Balochistan, Secretary Finance, Secretary S&GAD, Secretary Law, Special Secretary Finance, Secretary Secondary Education and other officials were also present. The Balochistan Chief Minister on the occasion urged the authorities that under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to take the law into their own hands and action should be taken against whoever takes the law into their own hands. He said that they were reviewing the legitimate demands of the employees. His government has always been more sympathetic towards the employees as compared to the previous governments. The Chief Minister said that the previous governments had taken a tough stance against the employees and even kept them in jails despite showing patience. “We have already acknowledged the demands of the employees and are still reviewing them sympathetically, but we have to come up with an acceptable solution for all, keeping in mind the financial burden,” he concluded.
