KP energy body’s inductions termed illegal by inquiry

ISLAMABAD: The PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) faced objections to the recruitment of officials from top to bottom in Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo). 

The recruitments were allegedly made by violating the laid down procedures and not maintaining the required level of transparency. The disclosures heralding the gross violations about inductions of officials in Pedo have been mentioned in the inquiry report of the Provincial Inspection Team headed by Chairman Syed Akhtar Ali Shah and comprising Senior Engineer Owais Islam and Member Technical Engineer Muhammad Yaqoob. 

The Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) on directives of Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak had initiated the probe.  In the inquiry report, it is found that most of the officials inducted on attractive salaries are said to be the close favourites of two top provincial officials. 

All the recruitments were made a year back.  The provincial inquiry report is now with the chief minister and has not been made public even under the right to information act.

However, a copy of the provincial inquiry  report available with The News clearly mentions the recommendations saying the recruitments in Pedo may be immediately cancelled and may be re-advertised after removing irregularities and deficiencies pointed out in the report. 

The report terms all the appointments in Pedo as illegal after irregularities were found in the inquiry carried by PIT. The PIT found that qualifications for certain posts are fixed keeping in view the nature of the posts whether technical or administrative. 

However, the HR committee had not approved the qualifications required for the posts under inquiry for the apparent reason that they were yet to decide about the nature of the posts and subsequent service rules for the said posts, but the Pedo authorities had already advertised the posts even before the nomenclature of posts in the seventh meeting of HR committee.

It further says, “The recruitment was to be carried out through the Pedo recruitment policy which was discussed in the seventh meeting of HR committee and some changes were proposed, therefore not approved. According to the draft Pedo recruitment policy, screening and short-listing of candidates was responsibility of the respective department head and HR team, but that was not followed in the recruitment process.”

The inquiry report also unravels, “The interviews of the candidates were made through Skype for such important posts.” The report says that interviewing through Skype is not justified.  The report also mentions that Pedo CEO as an individual has recruited the officials which resulted in the massive irregularities and anomalies. 

The report said that board of directors had authorised the HR committee to hire the professionals, but the HR committee had given the authority to one individual, Pedo CEO, to hire professionals and he allegedly committed massive irregularities.

It may also be noted that the position of CEO required an engineering degree and was advertised as such. The advertisement was withdrawn and the requirement of an engineering degree was replaced with a general degree to accommodate Akbar Ayub.

The report has also strongly recommended that amendments may be made in the Pedo Act to include secretary establishment department or his representative not below the additional secretary as Member of Pedo board so that formulation of rules of Pedo shall be carried out in more professional and efficient manner. 

It is also recommended that degree in management or project management may also be included along with the requirement of engineering degree in the relevant field as qualification for technical posts involving managerial skills. 

The PIT in its report also recommends the necessary amendments may also be made in Pedo Act to restrict such delegations of powers of board to respective committees only in order to utilize collective wisdom of all concerned and ensure transparency in the affairs of the organisation. 

When Pedo chief Akbar Ayub Khan was contacted, he said the RIP report about induction of the officials in Pedo has not been shared with him and it is lying with the secretariat. However, Energy and Power Ministry has responded to the findings of the RIP report very well with arguments and now the report has been closed. 

As far as the inductions in PEDO are concerned, he said no favoritism, nepotism and corrupt practices practiced while hiring the officials from top to bottom. When his attention was drawn to the ‘fact’ that most of the officials inducted on attractive salaries are said to be the close favorites of two top provincial officials, he said neither of the top officials ever asked him to hire this and that man. 

“All the recruitments have been made as per policy approved by board of directors and no irregularities have been committed.” About inductions based on interviews of candidates through Skype, he said that short-listing of the candidates was done through Skype, but final interviews were conducted on face to face basis. When asked if his own induction as PEDO CEO is also questionable as in the earlier advertisement for the top post, the qualification was education in Engineering, but later on the qualification was changed with degree in general education just to accommodate you, Akbar Khan said he is not responsible for it.