Babus controversy takes new turn
LAHORE – It remains to be seen whether the new policy recommended and forwarded by the committee comprising chief secretaries of Punjab and AJK and services secretaries of all the federating units be fruitful in bridging the gap between the PCS and PAS (formerly DMG) cadres or further increase it?
As per the new decision forwarded for further consideration, the BPS-18 officers of provincial services could be inducted into the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).
The government would give the names of PCS officers for interview, and the successful candidates would enjoy the perks and privileges of the PAS. Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mahmood Khosa, who happens to be the convener of the committee, while taking to TheNation said the committee had sent the recommendations to the federal government for further consideration.
“The committee thoroughly considered the promotion process of provincial officers and recommended that about 10 percent of the available seats from all the provinces should be given to PCS officers, thus 30 officers from each province would be inducted into the PAS through the FPSC,” he informed.
The Punjab chief secretary said the committee recommended this to encourage the experienced and talented provincial officers as per the 1993 agreement. “The committee had also considered the current situation of Balochistan and decided to bring its officers into the national pool,” he added.
“The DMG officers played another trick and tried to manipulate the rightful demand of PMS Officers,” said a spokesman of the provincial services, adding that the new formula would further slow down the promotion process. “Let the apex court decide about our fate,” he maintained.
A PCS officer seeking anonymity said the Civil Service was established in 1954 and a few seats were reserved for CSP officers in the provinces. “Of the 663 Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) seats, only 58 seats were reserved for CSPs and the remaining 605 were exclusively set aside for provincial services; while 30 per cent quota of CSP seats was fixed for PCS officers and 28 PCS officers were to be inducted in the federal government from BPS-18 to BPS-22. Later, the DMG abolished Rule 7 in 1973 and the PCS quota in the federal government was wiped out. This was the first trick of the DMG against provincial officers,” he alleged.
The present move, the PCS officer said, was aimed at mitigating the effects of the case under trial in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He maintained that on average 15 years were required for promotion from BPS-17 to BPS-18. “After the implementation of the present formula, PCS officers would get promotion after 20 years of service,” he feared.
“A BPS-18 officer, who may be a deputy secretary in the province, would be elevated as section officer in BPS-18 in the federal government and transferred to the other provinces. As per the rules of promotion from BPS-18 to BPS-19, he or she would have to wait for another seven years,” the officer said.
PCS Officers Organisation President Rai Manzoor Nasir rejected the new formula saying provincial officers in BPS-18 enjoy rapid promotion but with the implementation of the present formula, the promotion process of such officers would become slow. Why PCS officers were not taken on board while taking decisions about their future, he wondered.
Nasir said CSPs should give quota to provincial services in all the grades as it happens in the PSP. After the 18th amendment, the role of CSPs in the provinces has reduced, he claimed.
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