Islamabad:Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Science and Technology Monday strongly recommended for the approval of the special scales for the scientists of Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

The development came during a meeting of the Standing Committee which was held here today at PCSIR under the chairmanship of MNA Dr. Abdul Kadeer Khanzada.

The Chairman of the committee made strong comments on the case of awarding special pay scales to the respective staffers of PCSIR and said that as the case has been forwarded for the further action, we reiterate that PCSIR scientists must be given special pay scales as such scales have already been given to the scientists of other organizations like Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) etc.

Minister for Science and Technology Mir Changez Khan Jamali also attended the meeting and endorsed the committee’s recommendations. He said as technology in the world is rapidly changing and transferring with time to time, scientific organizations in Pakistan must also be facilitated to meet the international standards. He assured the committee members and the PSCIR Officials for the continuation of ministry’s support. Earlier in the meeting, committee was comprehensively informed about the on going and new (proposed) projects under PCSIR. Chairman PCSIR Dr. Shaukat Parvez informed the committee that the organization has 10 projects undergoing in various cities of Pakistan, which are taken as accumulative from previous year (2010-11), since 7 out of 17 projects have been completed. Officials informed that most of the projects are related to institutional capacity building like up-gradation & modernization of workshops of Labs, pilot plants, refurbishment/ modification and improvement of existing buildings.

The committee expressed concerns over a project regarding of polishing and maintaining mangos’ export quality at Multan.

Committee sturdily criticized over the projects and commented as such projects are neither related to PCSIR nor it has any benefit for the people of Pakistan. The committee however suggested replacing the project with mega one that can include other major cities of Pakistan.

The committee highly appreciated a project by PCSIR at Karachi, through which coal gas energy will be converted into liquid fuel. The committee opined that it would provide its best support to enhance the project as this would contribute for country in countering energy crisis.

The committee also recommended for the submission of report on ECNIC which was already asked to PCSIR in committee’s previous meeting.

Besides the Minister, PCSIR Officials and the Committee members, meeting was also attended by Federal Secretary of Ministry of Science and Technology Irfan Nadeem.The news