Posting disparity among bureaucrats

PE SHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Assembly Law Reforms Committee has sought response from the Establishment Department to the queries regarding the disparity in posting between the provincial and federal cadres of the civil service.
A senior bureaucrat told The News on Wednesday that around 100 junior officers have been posted at higher positions and this on the one hand created ill-will among the senior and competent officers and affected the working of the provincial administration on the other.
He said the post of the administrative secretary is a schedule BS-20 post, but presently at least seven BS-19 officers have been posted as secretaries in the province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Secretariat. These secretaries, according to the website of the provincial government, include the principal staff officer (PSO) to the chief minister, secretary Excise and Taxation, secretary Administration, secretary Planning and Development (P&D) FATA, Secretary Social Sector FATA, and secretary Administration, Infrastructure and Coordination FATA.
The post of the additional chief secretary (ACS) FATA is also BS-21 post, but the incumbent ACS FATA, who is otherwise legible for the post as he has recently completed National Management Course (NMC), an important criterion for such posting, is also a BS-20 officer.
The officer went on to add that the many junior officers posted in higher positions also include the director general (DG) Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), director Social Welfare and Special Education and Women Empowerment, additional secretary P&D FATA, additional secretary Human Resource Development (HRD) Establishment and Administration Department (E&D), additional secretary Higher Education Department, additional secretary Regulation, Finance Department and deputy secretary administration E&A.
He also shared a copy of the Supreme Court of Pakistan order with The News wherein the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtun-khwa appeared in Syed Mohsin Shah case of similar nature and told the SC bench “there is an acute shortage of the senior officers and that is the reason that the junior officers are performing duties on acting basis on higher posts.”
Meanwhile, taking notice of such postings and disparity in the posting of officers belonging to the Provincial Civil Service groups, such as PCS, Secretariat Group, PCS Executive, and Provincial Management Service PMS) cadres and officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), the Law Reforms Committee of the provincial assembly has sought response from the Establishment Department on these issues within a week.
In its 13 queries, the provincial legislature body sought report of the present formula and quota of PAS, PCS and PMS officers and disparity in the posting of these officers.
It also sought explanation from the Establishment Department as to why the meeting of the Provincial Selection Board (PSB) was not held to consider the promotion of the provincial civil service cadre officers.
The Law Reforms committee also asked the Establishment Department as to why the posts of the secretaries were abolished and directed it to mention the reason for the reversal of the decision of the previous cabinet that created special secretary posts in various departments.
It also directed the Establishment Department to inform the provincial assembly committee on the legal status of the PAS officers serving in the province following the 18th Amendment.