Centre abolishes posts vacant for three years

ISLAMABAD: The government has abolished all those posts in its ministries/divisions and attached departments which had been vacant for the last three years.

The revival of these would be subject to approval by the Senior Joint Secretaries/Joint Secretaries (Expenditures) concerned. An office memorandum (OM) titled “Delegation of Financial Powers” issued by Ministry of Finance on Wednesday stated "in terms of S. No. 1 of Financial Management and Powers of Principal Accounting Officers Regulations, 2021 of SRO 285 (1)/2021 dated 8th March, 2021, powers to approve continuation of temporary posts have not been delegated to the concerned Joint Secretary/Senior Joint Secretary as per earlier provision at Sr. No. 1 column No. 5 (ii) at Annex-I of System of Financial Control and Budgeting - 2006."

The OM reads: "Finance Secretary has been pleased to delegate the power to Senior Joint Secretaries I Joint Secretaries (Expenditure) concerned for continuation of temporary posts (BPS-1 to BPS-22) in the Ministries / Divisions / Departments/ Organizations through following amendment in the Financial Management Power (FMP) & Principle Accounting Officer (PAO) Regulations, 2021: Sr. No.1-Creation of Temporary Post's, in Column (5) "A post in any office or department which has remained vacant for a period of three years or more shall be deemed to have been abolished. The powers for revival of that post shall not be exercised without obtaining prior approval of concerned Senior Joint Secretaries I Joint Secretaries (Expenditure)".

"Sr.JS/JS(Exp.) Concurrence for continuance of temporary posts in the next financial year may be sought well before the beginning of that year so that the posts not agreed to by Sr Joint Secretary/JS Expenditures are not continued in the next financial year even for a day," the OM concluded.