KARACHI, Nov 29: With the recent measures reducing the prospects of promotion to almost nil, government jobs may not charm even the unemployed youths.
Government employees, who have been working for years, see their hopes dashed, as government authorities have increased promotion stages by 100 per cent — from 15 to 30.
For those who intend to seek government jobs (from grade 1 to 16), one of many gloomy aspects of the decision, which comes into effect on Dec 1, is that once employed in any of the grades, an employee is likely to retire in the same grade, as stages of promotion for this category have been increased from 15 to 30.
Similarly, promotion stages (years) for employees of grade 17 have been increased from 12 to 20; for grades 18 and 19 officials, from 10 to 20; and for those working in grades 20, 21 and 22, from 10 to 14.
Commenting on the revised pay scales, senior government officials, who requested not be named, told Dawn that the decision of increasing stages of promotion by 100 per cent would not only discourage highly qualified, talented youths from joining government services but would also deprive serving officials of motivation to work hard for promotion.
Terming the revised pay scales depressing and discouraging, the officials said the revised pay scales would nurture corrupt practices and give birth to a lethargic attitude in government officials instead of bringing the menace of bribery to an end.
They remarked that the only charm and attraction in government services for honest officials under the 1994 pay scales was that officials serving in BPS-1 to 16 were promoted to higher grades after 15 years, BPS-17 officials after 12 years and BPS-18 to 22 officials after 10 years.
With the increase in the stages of promotion by 100 per cent, the government jobs would now be clinched by only those, who would fail to get jobs in the private sector, a senior official of the Sindh government said.
Another official was of the view that since there was no room for career planning in the revised pay scales, government jobs would be sought mostly by those people, who would like to indulge in corruption and malpractice from day one. “It is but natural that when a person would know that he has to retire in the same grade in which he is starting his career, he would either like to have some lucrative posting or might not perform his duties with full devotion.”
Talking about the monetary benefits of the revised pay scales, the officials said though the government had increased their salaries by about 35 per cent, the actual impact of the new pay scales on their salaries would range between 20 and 25 per cent, as a number of allowances would be withdrawn.
The allowances, which would cease to be payable on the introduction of the revised pay scales with effect from Dec 1, 2001, include: (i) cost of living allowances to BS-1 to 22 —seven per cent of basic pay; (ii) ad hoc relief of Rs300 per month and Rs100 per month to BS-1 to 16 (inclusive of BPS-17 by virtue of move-over); and the secretariat/personal allowance, they said, adding that the special additional allowance would also be frozen at the level drawn as or date of issue of office memorandum by finance departments concerned.
