Deputation: a bureaucratic menace

THIS is in response to the news item (Nov 19) about the appointment of outsiders on deputation on lucrative posts. It is an example of misuse of deputation for personal gains and minting money. The Sindh High Court in its verdict in Lal Khan verus EOBI case had ordered the repatriation of deputationists to their parent departments.

This decision was later affirmed by the Supreme Court. But the truth is that deputationists are working in federal secretariat on key posts, starting from section officers to additional secretaries. The same is true for other departments, be it passport office, associated departments and autonomous bodies. The Federal Secretariat has become a grazing ground for influential deputationists from provinces and attached departments. This has led to blockade of promotion of regular secretariat officers, as well as to corruption.

The case of rental power plants and Haj corruption case manifest it clearly, where officers on deputation, in order to please their bosses, issued orders which were in clear violation of rules and resulted in these big scams.

The term deputation, which was introduced for having the services of competent officers, has degenerated into a menace. It is alarming that the large part of bureaucracy in federal secretariat is on deputation, a clear example of ad hocism. The government should avoid further deterioration of bureaucracy which is called the steel frame of a state.

RAJA KASHIF
Islamabad

Deputation: a bureaucratic menace