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Thursday March 28, 2024

Three LWMC officials shown the door

By Ali Raza
September 04, 2020

LAHORE:The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) has sacked three officials besides taking back additional charge of the post of general manager (Operations).

Senior Manager Sohail Malik was performing duties as acting general manager (Operations) for the past two years. A notification issued recently by Managing Director Shahzaib Hassnain stated that the earlier order No.1171-HR-LWMC dated May 29, 2018 about additional charge of the post of general manager (Operations) vis-à-vis Sohail Anwar Malik, senior manager (Operations) being an anomaly as a senior had been superseded, is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.

The letter added that Asif Iqbal would continue his services as deputy general manager (Operations) and lead and look after the responsibilities of Operation Department as head of the department till the posting/hiring of an incumbent on the post of general manager (Operations).

According to a recent report of forensic audit, a copy of which is available with the scribe, the general manager (Operations), general manager (HR & Admin), general manager (Planning and Contracts), several senior managers, managers and assistant managers were recruited against the prescribed rules, regulations and criteria. The report revealed that undue favours were also given to many officers in terms of relaxing/ignoring HR rules at the time of their salary raise.

The report revealed that General Manager (Operations) Sohail Anwar Malik was appointed as Manager Planning on October 28, 2011. He holds master’s degrees in English literature and political science. Documents showed that he did not fulfil the eligibility criteria of holding MSc degree in environmental sciences, economics, management, planning, statistics or similar mentioned in the advertisement for the post. It said that the post of manager planning was not advertised on the company’s web portal. The forensic audit report revealed that Sohail Anwar Malik was re-designated as manager operations on March 21, 2013 whereas eligibility criteria for the appointment of both categories of managers (Planning and Operations) was quite different. He was then promoted as senior manager (Operations). It is pertinent to mention here that the post of senior manager (Operations) was advertised internally and the criteria were minimum 16 years of education in environmental sciences, engineering, management and social sciences with minimum eight years of relevant experience out of which minimum four years with LWMC was prescribed. According to the forensic audit report, he was promoted as senior manager (Operations) on the basis of having master’s degree in political science, which he done on May 31, 2010. His total post qualification experience came to six years and five months instead of the required experience of eight years. Out of his total experience, he performed his duties as manager (Operations) for three years and seven months. It was revealed that the post of senior manager (Operations) was internally advertised on Sept 29, 2016 with minimum 16 years of education in environmental sciences, engineering and management.

The report claimed that to extend favour to Sohail Malik an amendment was made by adding new discipline of social sciences in the eligibility criteria and Sohail Anwar Malik was the only candidate to apply for the post of senior manager (Operations).

Two increments were given to him at the time of promotion and again in January 2017 he was given three increments whereas his length of service as senior manager (Operations) was just three months. The documents analysed by forensic auditors showed that on May 29, 2018 Sohail Anwar was given officiating charge for the post of general manager (Operations) without the approval of BoD in violation of the rule 4.2.2(d) of HR Manual.

The forensic audit team in their recommendations stated that Sohail Anwar Malik was appointed in a non-transparent manner and re-designation of his post can’t be termed as legitimate. Since July 2014 till June 2018 he had got Rs 7,894,758 in the head of salary and allowances.

Besides, taking back officiating charge of general manager from Sohail Anwar Malik, the LWMC MD also sacked three officials; Aiyaz Mazhar, manager operations, Iftikhar Zaidi, assistant manager and Muhammad Zaki Shabar, sanitary inspector/ZO.

The termination letter of Aiyaz Mazhar said that his services as manager operations were no longer required and his employment contract with LWMC was hereby terminated with immediate effect on account of inefficiency, corrupt practices, misconduct and negligence, which damaged the reputation of LWMC.

It is worth mentioning that the name of Aiyaz Mazhar was also highlighted in the forensic report, which claimed that Aiyaz Mazhar, manager operations was hired without requisite experience and so far he had drawn inadmissible salary falling outside the range of pay and allowances amounting to Rs 6,405,985. It recommended that he be relieved of his post and proper action be taken against the HR authorities for contravening rules in his case.

The other two officials, Iftikhar Zaidi, assistant manage and Muhammad Zaki Shabar, sanitary inspector/ZO, were also dismissed from service with immediate effect on account of inefficiency, corrupt practices, misconduct and negligence, which damaged the reputation of LWMC.

The LWMC MD while talking with the scribe said that no official of LWMC will be allowed to take advantage of his/her posts and indiscriminate disciplinary action would be taken against those found guilty of inefficiency, corrupt practices, misconduct and negligence.