Islamabad:
The Senate was informed on Friday that the registration of mining workers with the institution of benefits of old employees (EOBI) that is handled through provincial configurations, while a committee had been formed by registering domestic workers throughout the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Human Resources Development during the time of the question, the Minister of Rule of Law Aqeel Malik said that currently more than 11.44 million workers were registered in the EOBI, and added that they had all received the registration cards.
“Although the EOBI website does not update the registration in real time, measures are being taken to guarantee automatic online data integration,” said Malik. “The number of insured workers has risen to approximately 11.6 million,” he added.
In response to a question by SSENATOR DANESH KUMAR, the Minister of State said that the details about insurance rights, affiliated companies, access to the hospital and posthous benefits would be provided in writing. Malik declared that a 15% increase in EOBI pensions had been approved.
To another question by Shahadat Awan, he clarified that the registration of mines workers was being handled through provincial configurations. He also said that a special committee constituted in the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was actively working to register domestic workers throughout the country.
Senator Masroor Ahsan raised the consultation regarding the properties owned by EOBI. Malik replied that he currently had 49 buildings: 24 in Punjab, 14 in Sindh, five in Islamabad, four in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and two in Baluchistan. He added that 40 buildings were rented of spaces for regional and field offices.
However, Ahsan said the data did not include graphics owned by the EOBI. He suggested that the issue should be referred to a relevant Senate committee. Malik said the details about EOBI plots would also be sent shortly.
Answering the question of Zameer Ghumro about the return of EOBI to the provinces, the Minister of State told the Chamber that the matter would appear before the Common Interests Council (CCI) and was resolved in accordance with the constitutional provisions.
In response to several other consultations, the Minister of State said that 37 appointments were made in the Ministry of Pakistani abroad through a ‘office memorandum’ issued by the Finance Division on September 6, 2024.
Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan expressed concerns about the limited representation of Baluchistan, Senator Danish Kumar criticized the absence of quotas reserved for women and people with disabilities. Malik said the recruitment was made by open merit and local base that included minority quotas.
The law minister, Azam Nazeer, Tarar, said that the disadvantaged regions such as Baluchistan, the Sindh interior, the southern Punjab and the KP parts were being prioritized.
