PSM asked to demote 76 promoted officers, recover paid money

ISLAMABAD: The Government Commercial Audit (GCA) has asked the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) management to revert 77 officers, including Zardad Abbassi from the post of Deputy Manager to Assistant Manager, and also recover the differential amount of salary amounting to Rs4.827 million in pursuance of the Supreme Court orders.

In a letter addressed to the PSM chief executive officer on November 28, 2022, deputy director Government Commercial Audit stated that during a special audit regarding retrenchment of employees of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) for the year 2019-21, it was found that the management had promoted Zardad Abbassi from Assistant Manager (AM) to Deputy Manager (DM) along with 76 others to the higher grade as deputy manager.

“The audit is of the view that the management of PSM should comply with the orders of the Supreme Court and revert Zardad Abbassi and others 76 from deputy manager to assistant manager and also recover the differential amount of salary (Calculation of salary difference before and after promotion) effected to be made with effect of orders of Supreme Court), says the Government Commercial Audit Observation Memo dated 28.11.2022. “The audit suggests that the management should justify and fix the responsibility on a person at default,” says the letter available with The News.

It noted that despite the orders of the Supreme Court, the PSM management did not revert Abbasi and other officers adding that 60 officers had been retrenched in Phase 1, II and III, while the management paid the promotion benefits and did not revert to the post of assistant manager. “The government sustained the loss and three serving on the promoted post of deputy manager and others stand retired/expired on promotion post,” the letter added. It is pertinent to mention here that on March 12, 2020 a three-member bench of the apex court — headed by former Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed — had suspended the operation of the judgment of the Sindh High Court, promoting some 76 employees of Pakistan Steel Mills after granting leave to appeal to Pakistan Steel Mills against the judgment of the Sindh High Court. The court in its order had observed that the Steel Mills had been lying closed since June, 2015 but its employees were still employed and were claiming all sorts of benefits, including increments, promotions and other perks and privileges.