FAISALABAD, July 13: The Punjab government has put its foot down to stop tehsil nazims (TNs) from taking ‘unilateral’ action of relieving ‘unwanted’ officials from tehsil municipal administration (TMA) duties.

The government has termed the TNs’ decisions highly objectionable, violation of the Punjab Local Government Board (Conduct of Business) Rules, 1984, and the Punjab Tehsil Town Municipal Administration Rules of Business, 2002.

A directive issued by Muhammad Asif, Additional Secretary Admin, Local Government and Rural Development, to all the tehsil nazims of the province, said: “It has been noted with great concern that, at times, the officers from the LCS and other cadres posted by the Government of Punjab at various posts of TMAs were directed, unilaterally, to report to their parent department without any palpable reason and without making reference to the respective competent authority.

“Such an action on the part of tehsil nazims is tantamount to violation of the provisions of the Punjab Local Government Board (Conduct of Business) Rules, 1984. In this regard, attention is invited to Punjab Tehsil/Town Municipal Administrations Rules of Business, 2002, read with Punjab Local Government Board (Conduct) of Business Rules, 1984, which clearly define the powers to be exercised in respect of authorities available in TMAs and in the Local Government Department, respectively, relating to the transfers and postings of the officers/officials working in the TMAs.

“I have been directed to advise that necessary rules should be observed while making any such dispensation. In case, some officer of the LCS cadre is not required by the TMA, matter may be sent to the provincial government for necessary orders. Under no circumstances any officer/official of the LCS or any other cadre may be transferred arbitrarily.

“It is urged that rules (stated above) may be followed, in letter and spirit and any order issued by any TMA in contravention to the said instructions may be withdrawn, immediately,” the directive added.

It may be noted that a tug of war is going on between the nazims of different TMAs and senior officers throughout the province, badly affecting the working of tehsil municipal administrations In Faisalabad, TMA (city) Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema has already expressed his reservations about the working of Tehsil Municipal Officer, Dr Pervez Abbas, (a DMG Officer), and complained to the Punjab Government that TMO was indulging unnecessarily in correspondence with various provincial departments without getting his approval.

The city nazim has already managed transfer of Mujahid Shamsi, Resident Assistant Director, Local Government Fund Audit, of the TMA who had detected irregularities in the financial affairs of the TMA.

Similarly, he got cancelled the posting orders of Nazeeruddin Khan, a grade-18 officer, posted as TMO (Finance) and manoeuvred the same seat for Mujeebuz Zaman Shamsi, who is a grade-17 officer.

But Ch Shaukat Ali Raan, TMA’s Chief Officer, blocked the way of the city nazim when he refused to obey his relieving order, terming it violation of the LG rules.

In his order, the city nazim had claimed that as the Grade-19 post of the chief officer of the defunct Faisalabad Municipal Corporation carrying, presently held by Ch Shaukat Ali Raan, was no more required in the TMA, the officer may be adjusted by the government against some appropriate assignment in the provincial government.

The CO, in his challenging letter, pointed out that the post of the chief officer, inherited from the dissolved urban local council, was inseparable under the law.

As a last resort, the provincial government took up the matter and issued a directive through the additional secretary admin of the Local Government and Rural Development.