Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh government, in the light of Supreme Court (SC) directives, now seems serious in removal of Own Pay Scale (OPS) cadre officials, who were still serving in different civic entities. Vide letter SO (G)/HPT/KDA/1-17/ 2017, January 18, 2018, Riaz Ahmed Shar, Section Officer (General) Local Government Department (LGD) has issued directives to Director General, Karachi Development Authority, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and other civic entities to relive such officials from their respective posts. There are clear-cut directives of SC that OPS should not serve departments of any government civic entity and without having standing credibility for such posts on higher grades. In continuation of this department letter of even number January 1, 2018, once again you are requested to provide complete service profile of each OPS without further delay, he maintained. Officials in Basic Pay Scale (BPS-17) are heading various civic body departments meant to run by BPS-19-20 officials. KDA remained on top and has become ‘Officials’ Junk Yard’ as 19 out of total 23 departments of the entity have been running by non-cadre and OPS officers. Land department has become mushroom of such OPS. Such departments under the rules should have been run by BPS-19 and 20 officials, according to entity laws and regulations, officials on condition of anonymity have revealed. KDA Pipe Factory is being supervised by a grade 17 officer. In defying a ban on retired or OPS officials’ appointments by SC, KWSB has appointed a retired official of department as technical adviser to its managing director. In due course of time, MD KWSB has been facing contempt of court on allowing several retired/OPS officials to be remained in several departments. Among other anomalies in violation of service rules, a number of grade-officials have been running (labour union of KWSB), whereas they were not allowed to do so under the law. A grade 17 officer is heading Charged Parking and Bachat Bazaar Department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation only meant for grade 19 officials. Five departments are being run by lower grade officers and moreover Member Technical, DG Karachi Mass Transit Cell, Traffic Engineering Bureau, Chief Engineer Office and Chief Engineer Electrical and Mechanical departments are being supervised by OPS. Junior grade officials are enjoying running Gulzar-e-Jijri Division I-II Scheme-33, Circle office Scheme-33, Civic Centre Mechanical, Civic Centre Civil, Mechanical Circle, Asphalt Plant Division I-II, Workshop and Store Division, Machinery Pool Division, Malir Bund Division, Design and Estimate SDP, Division-IX PHS, Shah Latif Town-VII PHS, Korangi Division-VI PHS, Clifton Division-V PHS, Surjani Division-IV PHS, North Karachi Gulshan Division-IIIPHS, Circle-II PHS, Project Director PHS, Gulistan-e-Jauhar Division-I PHS and Corridor Scheme-33 as head on the pretext of favourtism and strong ties with the higher echelon in government functionaries.

Published in Daily Times, January 26^th 2018.