LAHORE: The Ministerial staff of the Provincial Civil Service (Executive branch) have appealed to the West Pakistan Governor to ask the Provincial Public Service Commission to revert to the old system of promotions of the staff on the basis of their records of service.

In a petition to the Governor, sent through the Additional Chief Secretary, Services and General Administration, the Ministerial employees of the Civil Secretariat have said that previously promotions from amongst the Ministerial staff to the Provincial Civil Service (Executive branch) were made on the basis of their record of service and that the West Pakistan Public Service Commission used to advise on the basis of their suitability on the service records.

The petition said now the Commission has made a departure from its practice and has asked the candidates to appear for an interview.

The staff said the relevant service rules do not provide for such an interview in departmental promotion cases. It has been contended that “the Commission’s recommendations for an interview are unjustified and open to serious legal objections”.

They have appealed to the Governor to set the situation right and order fresh selection on the basis of service records, thus removing the grievances of the ministerial candidates. This will also be a step towards returning to the old established policy in this respect, they said.—Agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies in Calcutta] mob violence over alleged Police repression spread to two more towns in the eastern Indian state of Bihar on Friday [Jan 6]. In Muzaffarpur, 330 miles north-west of Calcutta, mobs set fire to an Electricity Board motor truck, and in Paliganj mobs ransacked a police building causing heavy damage.

Police banned meetings and processions in both towns.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2017