Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A total of 250 deputationist of the Federal Directorate Education (FDE), including teaching and non-teaching staff, still await their absorption in the department despite the approval granted in this regard by former prime minster Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Ashraf had approved a summary moved by Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), seeking the absorption of officers on deputation serving in the FDE and its institutions under deputation quota and wedlock policy. The FDE deals with 422 educational institutions functioning in the capital and the adjoining rural areas.

According to the documents available with Daily Times, the FDE has hired the services of a large number of teaching and non-teaching staff on deputation under the wedlock and deputation quota policy. The government introduced the policy in all public sector departments keeping in view the problems faced by married couples serving in government departments in separate areas.

The wedlock policy allows posting of husbands and wives at the same station. While as per rules, there is 10 percent deputation quota in every government department.

The Civil Servant Rules, 1973 state: “The posting of serving husband and wife at the same station, unmarried female government servants at the place of residence of their parents/family and that of married female government servants at the place of residence/posting of their husbands who are not in government shall be exempted from the said rule.”

After reviewing the relevant rules, the then PM Ashraf approved the forwarded summary. The relevant section of the summary reads: “All deputationists including teaching and non-teaching staff working in the educational institutions under FDE on deputation basis udder wedlock policy and completed their five years of deputation may be absorbed in their perspective cadres. Absorption of the incumbents shall be subject to provision in the recruitment rules and be affected after fulfillment /completions of all procedural formalities contained under Civil Servants Rules 1973.”

In compliance with recommendation from the PM Office, the Ministry of CADD also issued a directive for further processing of the matter (a copy of which is available with Daily Times).

In the letter, the FDE was directed to prepare an institution-wise list of deputationists along with other relevant details, including no objection certificates (NOCs), from their respective parent departments.

Requesting anonymity, an official said that the process to compile the lists had been completed. “However, some elements are intentionally trying to delay the matter,” he said.

He said that after obtaining the NOCs, deputationists were no longer part of their parent departments. “As per rules, a person cannot be repatriated to his/her parent department if he/she secures an NOC,” he said. “Moreover, the staff on the 10 percent deputation quota is also facing problems. Such officials’ induction in the FDE has been put on hold since 2013,” he said.

FDE Director General Hasnat Qureshi said that all staff on deputation had been accommodated. “I assumed the office recently and don’t have all the details about the matter,” he said. Qureshi said that the schools director could be in a better position to provide information about the case as he dealt with staff on deputation.

Schools Director Abdul Waheed told Daily Times that there was excess staff on deputation in the FDE. “So, it is quite difficult to accommodate all of them,” he said.

To a question, he said that all the terms of reference (TORs) had not been explained in the summary approved by the PM. “However, the FDE has constituted a three-member committee to look into the issue. It will give its findings within a month,” he said.