Spsc criticised (letters to the editor)

[HASEEB ANSARI]

The sindh public service commission is an independent body entrusted with the job of recruiting deserving youths of the province. However, like many other departments of Pakistan, this body too has not remained an exception in the context of succumbing to political pressures and personal wants.
Most of the hard-working talented young fellows , particularly from the poor, lower-middle class stratum in Sindh long for finding any advertisement by the SPSC to recruit them in different departments.
When such a body becomes ill-managed, even the last hope of the youths is bound fade away.
Then they are left with no option other than lament their fate. Some of courageous among them do not surrender and are seen knocking at the door of courts to get justice done against their victimization.
In February 2011, Ramesh Udeshi, a member of SPSC, was found guilty by special anti-corruption court and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on corruption charges. Could any one dare ask our government to be cautious while assigning such important and key posts to such officials?
Yet another incident, the anti-corruption department of Sindh registered cases against a number of high officials on charges of corruption and forgery in the result sheets of candidates for Combined Competitive Examinations (CCE) 2003.
The record of as many as 18 candidates, who were declared qualified in CCE 2003, was found tampered with.
It was also found that their handwritings did not match the papers they pretended to be theirs, besides many other irregularities that have been exposed in the report.
After a thorough scrutiny of the commissions’ records and inquiry reports, the Sindh government had to sack those 18 officers in September 2009, though the corruption case against some SPSC officals is still pending in the court.
Strict measures need to be introduced in the commission to save the talented lot of Sindh from being victims of injustice.

A citizen (Name withheld on request) Sukkur

DAWN WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 5, 2012

[HASEEB ANSARI]

Applying to SPSC

Every year the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) announces numerous posts in different departments under the generally accepted principles of the Sindh government.
According to the recent policy of the SPSC, one has apply online only. It is really strange. How a student can apply online from a place where a toilet facility is a luxury for most of the people?
Neither the Internet facility is available to all, nor is it easy to understand the procedure. Therefore, this has generated some employment in the informal sector.
Typists are now available with their systems to fill out your form, charging high (on a piece rate, as well as on an hourly basis). Applicants wait for hours for their turn.
This method has been introduced first time in Sindh. However, there are those local candidates who do not use computers for one reason or the other. In viewing of the existing obstacles and misunderstandings about the last date for submitting applications, some candidates miss the opportunity even after filling the challan.
I request the Sindh government and the SPSC to make extension in application dates. Furthermore, I request the SPSC to adopt both by post and online application systems to facilitate candidates.

SHAHZAD ALI SHAH
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Karachi
DAWN FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2012

[HASEEB ANSARI]

Appointment of ASIs: a plea

The sindh public service commission is tasked by the government to receive applications, conduct examinations in a transparent and impartial manner and select the most suitable candidates for jobs.
It also announced 700 vacancies of assistant sub-inspectors BPS-09 in June 2011 under Police Order 2002 Article 7 (3), out of which 334 vacancies were reserved to be filled from amongst graduate head constables/police constables of the Police Department.
Thousands of candidates meeting the criteria set by the commission not only submitted applications, coupled with deposited challan of Rs500 as an application process fee, but also bore other consequential expenditure in this regard.
In October 2012 written call letters issued only to the police personnel for examination to be conducted by the SPSC. The letters had hardly been issued when it announced through its official website the withdrawal of the posts at the behest of additional chief secretary, Home Department, and government of Sindh.
The same posts were again announced through a Sindhi newspaper on Dec 8 by spurning seats reserved for head constables/constable. The advertisement also stipulated that the recruitment process will completely be made by the department concerned. Changing the selection process from the SPSC--the professional institution in question—to the department can facilitate political involvement in subsequent appointment at the expense of eligible candidates.
It is a proverbial fact that the entire police department is littered with political involvement which had also influenced the selection process of ASIs conducted by the department in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Even the most of the transfers and postings right form ASIs to the seniormost officers have political underpinning. With regard to the fresh appointments, Wajid Ali Durani, the former IGP, Sindh, also admitted in September last year before the Supreme Court that almost all the appointments in the police department were made on a political basis.
The law and order situation in Sindh, including Karachi, is spinning from bad to worse with each receding day, which strangles socioeconomic development in the province. Depoliticisation of the department is one of the most effective catalysts for improving deteriorating situation.
I request the authorities concerned to assign the process of selection of ASIs to the SPSC or the National Testing System so that the department could be guarded against political involvement and eligible candidates could be appointed.


A.B NOONARI
Shikarpur

DAWN DECEMEBER 14.12.12