KARACHI: A non-cadre retired official has been reappointed as the director general (DG) of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) by the chief secretary (CS), Daily Times has learnt.
Hanif M Mirchiwala, who retired after serving as the municipal commissioner of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, was appointed as the DG through a notification issued by Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon on April 26.
With the appointment of Mirchiwala, Muhammad Athar, who was serving as the DG of the authority, was asked to report to the Transport Department.
Several officials of the SMTA highlighted while speaking to Daily Times that the appointment was in violation of rules as well as Supreme Court directives, whereby, the government was barred from appointing retired officials on public posts.
The officials further claimed that Mirchiwala had no background of working in the transport sector.
Under Section 16 sub section (1), the government is required to appoint a
full-time DG of the authority with approval of the board. Under sub-section (2), the DG shall be an eminent professional of known integrity and competence having experience of at least 15 years, including in various urban infrastructure development projects or schemes with global exposure of mass transit systems and having experience in public or private sector management especially in context of managing human resources, financial management, programme implementation and may additionally have technical understanding of mass transit systems.
Under sub section (3), the DG shall be appointed for a period of four years and shall be eligible for reappointment for more than a term on the basis of his performance, provided that board, on a complaint regarding the performance of the DG or otherwise, reduces term of his appointment or terminates his services, as the case may be.
Moreover, under sub-section (4), the DG may, at any time on two months notice, resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the board.
The Sindh Mass Transit Authority Bill of 2016 was passed by the provincial assembly of Sindh on September 29, 2016, and was assented to by the governor on October 6, 2016.
Published in Daily Times, May 9th 2018.
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