LAHORE: The Inspector General Police Punjab has proposedamendmentsto the `Punjab Traffic Warden Service (PTWS) Rules 2007` demanding service structure and criteria for promotion of traffic wardens and creation of new posts of junior staff to help them in traf fic management in major urban centres of the province.

It is said to be the first serious initiative for the betterment of nearly 7,000 traffic wardens who are discharging their duties half-heartedly without getting promotion since their recruitment in 2006-7. They are performing duties in six districts Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala and Sialkot.

IGP Mushtaq Sukhera moved the case of amendments through the Home Department requesting the Punjab government to provide the promotion channel for traf fic wardens and their juniors who would be recruited against the proposed new positions in basic pay scale 5, 7 and 9.

The proposed positions range from traffic assistant to constable (BS-5), from senior traffic assistant to head constable (BS-7) and from junior traf fic warden to assistant sub-inspector (BS-9).

The step was taken aboutweeks back after the chief minister had approved a summary and a notification of the finance department about the creation of posts under various categories on a temporary basis, allocating Rs306 million for the Sialkot district.

Earlier, the matter was taken up in a meeting of the Service Rules Committee (SRC) which had pointed out some discrepancies in the proposed schedule vis-à-vis name of the department, qualification and the method of recruitment for the newly-created post s in the Sialkot district.

According to the minutes of the SRC meeting released on May 14, the representatives of police and Home departments were asked to remove discrepancies from the proposed schedule.

An official privy to the information told Dawn that the case had been sent to the Regulations Wing department for comments on the criteria for promotion of traffic wardens.

According to the proposal, the traf fic wardens serving in BS-14, after amendment to rules, would be promoted as senior traf fic wardens on seniority-cum-fitness basis that would be equal to the rank of inspectors. He said if the amendment to PTWS were accepted, the traf fic wardens were likely to be promoted up to the rank of Superintendent of Police and the Chief Traf fic Of ficer (CTO).