ISLAMABAD, April 15: The government has decided to adopt carrot and stick approach following refusal by 10 senior bureaucrats to accept their transfer to the volatile Balochistan province, official sources said on Friday.

The government is planning to initiate disciplinary action against them under Removal from Service Ordinance. Establishment Division has sought prime minister’s approval in this regard.

On the other hand, a special Balochistan Incentive Package has been prepared to lure the bureaucrats into accepting assignments in the province. The package awaits approval of the Finance Division.

Under the proposed package, bureaucrats posted in Balochistan would get enhanced pay, promotion and air tickets for themselves and their family among other incentives.

In the meantime, Establishment Division has transferred another batch of BS-19 officials to Balochistan. Most of them have spent a good part of their service in Islamabad or other provinces.

These officials, it has been learnt, will be promoted to BS- 20 once the Central Selection Board meets. However, it was not clear if they would accept their transfer or defy much like those previously transferred to the province.

Balochistan is an “officer-deficient” province, a source disclosed, adding that there were some 78 District Management Group positions in the province for which officers were not available.

A senior officer, talking about the reasons why bureaucrats refuse Balochistan-based assignments, said the service culture in the province was so bad that it scared them away. There was no specific timeframe or policy as to how long an officer would remain posted there, he added.