KARACHI, July 4: The officers, who were recently transferred to serve people in the area of their domicile, have started returning to Karachi on detailment, it is reliably learnt.

The government had transferred officials from different departments, including 29 doctors and 21 medical officers of school health services Karachi, to various districts. However, some of them succeeded in manipulating their transfer back to Karachi.

The disclosure of postings back in Karachi on detailment was made at the meeting, presided over by Chief Secretary Aslam Sanjrani. District Coordination Officers and Additional Chief Secretary (Local Government) of Sindh attended the meeting.

The chief secretary expressed concern over postings on detailment saying that those were against the rules and regulations. He directed the departments concerned to provide him the list of all those officials who were posted on detailment so that necessary action could be taken against them.

Aslam Sanjrani asked the officials that instead of yielding to political pressures they should perform their duties in accordance with the rules and in the best interest of the province.

He asked the DCOs to send their monthly performance reports and about obstacles being faced by them so that necessary action should be taken to solve problems. Additional Chief Secretary Saleem Khan asked the DCOs of Karachi, Shikarpur and Dadu to expedite setting up of Citizens Community Boards in their respective districts to ensure completion of projects on time.

DCO Mir Hussain Ali informed the meeting about the progress of ongoing projects, under Tameer-i-Karachi Programme and Annual Development Programme, including building of roads and flyovers, development of parks and playgrounds, as well as major water supply and sewerage projects.

Regarding traffic problems, he said that the inter-city bus termini would be shifted out of the city within a few months which would facilitate smooth flow of traffic on busy M.A. Jinnah Road, University Road and other arteries in the city.

He further said that 500 new buses would be plied in the city under Urban Transport Scheme by the next year. For industrial units in Karachi, the DCO said that industrial development boards had been set up in Korangi, Site, Buffer Zone, North Karachi and F.B. Industrial Area to improve atmosphere and help the units in solving their problems.

Mir Hussain Ali informed the meeting that the powers for transfers and postings up to grade 17, which should have been with the city district government under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, was still being exercised by the secretariat for want of employment, transfer and posting (EPT) rules.

The chief secretary directed the ACS (local government) to compile EPT rules and also suggest alternate system for magisterial powers to check soaring prices and encroachment. He also directed the DCOs to bring improvement in their respective districts in the departments of education, health and social welfare on priority basis.