MULTAN: As many as 350 employees of the Multan Development Authority have been transferred to different departments allegedly to counter extensive activities of the MDA’s Employees Union (CBA) and limiting their involvement in politics.

MDA Public Relations Officer Javed Bukhari, however, says it is an administrative decision meant to improve the performance of the authority.

Meanwhile, MDA’s Employees Union Chief Executive Ghaffar Ahmed Shahid has filed a petition with the Lahore High Court against the posting of MDA Additional Director General Altaf Hussain Sario. Mr Sario was earlier performing his duties as director of the Local Government and Community Development, Bahawalpur (BS-18).

He stated that as per the MDA Appointment and Condition of Service Regulations 1980, the candidate for the ADG (BS-20) post would be promoted from among directors BS-19 (general cadre) having a 12-year service as director on a seniority-cum-fitness basis but Mr Sario was a BS-18 officer and also did not have the required experience as director in BS-19 (general cadre).

The petitioner said the chief secretary had transferred and posted Mr Sario as ADG (BS-20) through a notification No (SI.2-2/2015 (A) on Aug 27, 2015, illegally and unjustifiably.

He said Mr Sario had taken the charge of ADG on Sept 1, 2015, and he was not only misusing powers and official capacity as ADG but was also enjoying the powers of the MDA director general.

He said two directors had been working with the MDA in Grade-19 for over 12 years and were eligible for the post as stated in a notification issued on Nov 3, 1997.

He requested the court to declare the notification of Mr Sario as ADG illegal and he be reverted to his previous post.

The office-bearers of the union have also moved the National Accountability Bureau and Anti-Corruption Establishment against Mr Sario and other officials for allegedly committing irregularities while running the affairs of the authority particularly in connection with the establishment of housing schemes.

In a press release on Friday, Mr Shahid stated that the transfers were made to keep the employees away from the union activities. He said those associated with Mr Sario had not been transferred. He said the MDA had about 550 employees out of which 350 had been transferred.

POWER THEFT: The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) collected a fine of Rs1.818 billion during 2015-16 from the people involved in electricity theft.

According to a handout issued here on Friday, 300,000 people were found involved in electricity theft.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016