OMG officers object to absorption of 90 deputationists

ISLAMABAD: Strongly objecting to the efforts to absorb around 90 non-cadre deputationists in the Office Management Group (OMG), over a 100 officers of the group have written to secretary Establishment, reminding him that the move is a direct violation of Supreme Court (SC) orders.
The letter, a copy of which is available with The News, informed the senior bureaucrat that the move would also adversely affect the promotion and career growth chances of qualified cadre officers.
According to sources, the Establishment Division is planning to absorb 90 non-cadre officers including teachers and doctors in the OMG on the basis of a summary moved by former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in 2013. At that time too, the cadre officers of the OMG had moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on the matter. As an interim relief, the ICH barred the Establishment Division taking action on the summary by issuing stay order. However, sources said the process for permanent induction of 45 deputationists in Grade 17 and as many in grade 18 has been started again.
Objecting to the process, the OMG officers wrote a letter on July 15, 2015 to the secretary Establishment Division. “It is submitted that, in near past, there was a dubious practice of change of cadre/induction of ex-cadre officers against the cadre posts of occupational groups and services.
However, the apex court took serious note of it; and in its judgment in Crl. Org. 89/2011 (famous Sindh Government case of Supreme Court of Pakistan), the governments were barred to absorb/change the cadre of ex-cadre officers against cadre posts of occupational groups and services,” says the letter.
In the light of directions passed by the Supreme Court, the Establishment Division had issued office memoranda directing all ministries/divisions to avoid induction/change of cadre of ex-cadre officers against the cadre posts of occupational groups/services.
“The same judgment applies to the Office

Management Group (OMG) by all definitions and comprehensions,” the letter says. As per OMG Constitution of 1975, there is no provision of change of cadre of ex-cadre deputationist section officers or their induction in OMG. Although a quota of 10% of its total seats is meant for induction of cadre officers (CSS, PCS, Ex-PCS, PMS) of federal and provincial governments who are on deputation as section officers to the federal government but not for ex-cadre deputationist section officers.
“However, as a result of wrong interpretation of this 10% quota provision, a number of ex-cadre officers were inducted against the cadre posts of the OMG in the past. However, these inducted officers were required to be repatriated to their parent departments in the light of above referred judgment and the Establishment Division (D&L Wing) office memoranda; but the implementation process is at halt in the Establishment Division due to certain “unknown” reasons,” the letter says.
It refers to a summary approved in March 2013 by former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for the induction of about 284 deputationist section officers against the cadre posts of the OMG. “The matter is sub judice in the Court. Here, it is important to mention that the judgment of Supreme Court of Pakistan left no ground for the Establishment Division to induct ex-cadre deputationist officers against the cadre posts of the OMG in future,” it adds.
The letter says that the induction of ex-cadre deputationists in OMG mars the promotion and career growth chances of the qualified cadre officers of the OMG; and also violates their constitutional right for life. The OMG officers have asked secretary Establishment Division to repatriate all inducted officers to their parent departments in the light of SC judgment passed in Crl. Org. 89/2011 and as elaborated in the Establishment Division (D&L Wing) office memoranda.
They also asked the Establishment Division to refrain from inducting deputationists and ex-cadre officers in the OMG in future. When secretary Establishment was contacted for his version his private secretary asked this correspondent to contact Joint Secretary Masood Akhtar who is the spokesman of the department.
Speaking to The News, Masood Akhtar said he can’t comment on the issue without consulting his seniors. He also asked this correspondent to send written questions which were duly sent on 28th July 2015.
Next day, the joint secretary said he is waiting for the response from relevant department. However, for last seven days no response was provided by the official who is not even attending the phone calls by this correspondent.
Following questions were sent by The News for response: 1- Is it true that 90 deputationists are being inducted in OMG group by the Establishment Division? 2-what is the response of the department to a representation sent by OMG officers to Secretary Establishment in this regard? 3- Is this move not a violation of Supreme Court order which bars induction of ex-cadre officers in cadre group?