Daily Times

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has resolved the longstanding issue of its employees as the Commission promoted around 100 employees that, according to a Director General (DG), would enhance the working capacity and contentment among the employees.

The DG Aayesha Ikram said in a statement that such initiatives are necessary for overall organizational improvement as well. “These promotions were delayed for years and done amicably while following all prescribed rules,” she explained, adding that when employees would be satisfied they would perform more eagerly which would ultimately strengthen the HEC.

Moreover, the DG said, it would also help them in tough economic situations in the country as the inflation is rising steeply. “The promotions and up gradation have been carried out as per practice. The upgrade was granted 3 times in the past in the years 2003, 2004 and 2013 respectively as per rules,” she claimed.

The HEC’s Commission is apex decision making body which, in the 1st meeting, delegated powers to Chairperson HEC that he/she will be the competent authority for aforementioned practice as per HEC service rules while the same powers were also delegated to the Executive Director HEC. As per HEC act, the ED is principal accounting officer and the second most administrative official in the department.

“Employees who were stuck in the same cadre since 3 years service in the same grade had submitted their requests for enhancement of their respective grades and a a departmental Committee was formed subsequently to thoroughly examine the matter and give its recommendations to the Finance and Planning Committee of HEC on merit,” Ikram recalled adding that the constituted committee was consisted on two advisers and 4 DGs of the HEC.

After multiple times review the Committee approved the requests which included employees of different cadres who were either stuck in the same scale since long or have no career path in service till their retirement.

She added that as per procedure, after said committee approval, the matter was placed before the Finance Planning Committee which was also given go ahead. The DG further stated that recommendations of Departmental Promotion Committee and subsequent approval thereof by appointing authority promotion of such cadre employees working in BPS-15-17 who were stuck since long have been granted higher scale by fulfilling all the requirements and observing relevant rules/policy framed by the HEC’s Commission and also notified in the gazette of Pakistan. “No employee from BPS-18 to BPS-19 and above, where the Commission is the appointing authority, have been promoted,” she claimed.