LAHORE: The Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Affairs on Wednesday approved the recruitment of 664 visually-challenged people on daily wages.

Officials at the meeting, however, told Dawn that appointments on daily wages will not offer any service structure to the special persons.

The committee meeting, chaired by Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Cooperatives and Environmental Protection Basharat Raja, at the civil secretariat was attended by ministers Raja Yasir Humayun, Ali Afzal Sahi and ShahzadKhurram Virk and respective secretaries.

The secretary of the social welfare and Baitul Maal presented the details of vacant posts in various government departments.

Mr Raja expressed his displeasure at a slow pace in the recruitment of special persons and said the recruitment of special persons should be ensured against a three per cent quota. `If special people want to earn their livelihood with their own hands, we will strengthen them`, the minister said.

Referring to the previous meetings, he said `if all the deputy commissioners play the role of facilitators in the recruitment of special persons, a significant improvement can be seen in the situation.

Mr Raja directed the secretary to getdetails of the recruitment from all the secretaries to hatch a comprehensive strategy.

`The Punjab government is making a longterm plan for the special persons to make them skilled at an early age so that they could get job opportunities according to their physical abilities,` he said.

The committee also approved notification for the reconstitution of the board of Atchison College and Lawrence College, Ghorra Gully. The committee, however, deferred the matter of appointing the competent authority under the Punjab Apprenticeship Act for further improvement in the Tevta matters.

The chair directed the secretary of higher education to take on board secretary labour for further deliberations.