Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab Civil Defence (PCD) has demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Lahore Mayor Colonel (r) Mubashir Javaid to reinstate over 400 PCD volunteers working on Orange Metro Train Line Project who were fired without any prior warning.

The laid-off PCD volunteers were working on OMT project since January 3, 2016 to assist traffic police and guide citizens to alternative routes but they were fired after a lapse of a year. “We had several times raised our voice before the PCD, mayor and other officials concerned but they did not take it seriously. Rather they gave us false hope and assurances by making lame excuses.”

According to laid-off employees, they were hired for a period of 27 months from January 2016 to March 2018. They said that the PCD had also not paid them their last two month’s ‘incentives’.

They added that they were facing a severe financial crunch due to non-payment of their incentives.

“Moreover, the Punjab government has also not paid our incentives for the duties we have performed on special days like Muharram,” they lamented.

“Adviser to the Punjab CM Khawaja Ahmed Hassan on March 23 promised us to raise our daily wages from Rs 400 to Rs 600, but no progress was made in this regard,” they added.

Talking to Daily Times, Lahore Civil Defence Officer (CDO) Qari Alam Shair said, “We had earlier informed them [volunteers] about the nature of their service…we did not lie to anyone.” He; however, added that the chief traffic officer (CTO) had requested the Lahore DCO to provide volunteers for OMT project to assist traffic police.

To a query, said that their last two month incentives would be cleared in couple of weeks for which the deputy commissioner had approved and application which would be forwarded to the Accountant General (AG) office for action.

Civil Defence volunteers assist the district administration in relief and rescue work during natural calamities and other emergencies like floods, earthquakes, bomb blasts, law and order situation, polio campaigns and other special security duties.