Daily Times

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh on Thursday directed the Environment Protection Department (EPD) to regularise 39 employees who were recruited on contractual basis.

The judge observed that while discharging official functions, efforts should be made to ensure that no one is prevented from earning his/her livelihood due to unfair and discriminatory act on part of the public functionaries.

The judge made the observation while hearing the petitions of Shazia Pervaiz and others challenging their likely termination and seeking regularisation.

The petitioners counsel said that they were employed by EPD on contract basis for a project ‘Regulatory control on environment degradation through capacity building of environment protection agency, Punjab’. He said that the period of the project was initially until June 6, 2013 but later it was extended up to December 12, 2013.

He said that the project was transferred to a non-development side along with 39 employees on January 1, 2014, adding that the chief minister had also ordered to transfer 39 employees to non-development side but the department was not considering their request.

The EPD counsel said that project was for a specific purpose and time and after expiry of project, neither any post exists nor any financial allocation of funds is available. He also said that the project has not been transferred to any non-development side.

The judge held that there was no doubt that after approval of the chief minister, the project was transferred to non-development side along with 39 posts including petitioners. He held that the Supreme Court had clearly laid down the principle that after the transfer of project to non-development side, employees, who have gained experience and are duly qualified, have right to be regularised.