ISLAMABAD: An inquiry committee looking into cases of the upgrading and changing of cadre of 1,068 employees of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) found that just once case of change of cadre was carried out in accordance with rules.

“The inquiry committee observed that only one case of change of cadre of Ali Murtaza was done after due observations of Rules & Regulations, all other cases of up-gradation/re-designation have been made without observing the laid down procedure and that too on pick and choose method and in certain [cases] without having the up-graded post,” the inquiry report says.

The report, available with Dawn says: “The fact finding committee recommends that all the illegal upgradation re-designation may be de-notified”.

Probe body recommends denotification of all illegal post upgrades, re-designations

The report was compiled by a three-member committee last month headed by Ejaz Ahmed Siddiqui, who has since retired, Admin Officer Aftab Saleem and director public relations Mazhar Hussein.

After the inquiry, the administration wing of the authority issued charge-sheets to some 100 employee who were given out of the way promotions, according to member administration, Yasir Pirzada, who had initiated the inquiry.

He added that the Supreme Court has also declared that there is no room for out-of-turn promotions and up-gradations of posts.

“We will uphold the rule of law, come what may,” he said.

According to sources, the CDA Employees Union has been backing the cases and that it has been making efforts to stop the issuance of charge-sheets.

The inquiry also cites some examples of up-gradations for instance, an official by the name of Zafar Mahmood was appointed as a mechanic helper in 1982 and that he is at present transport officer in BPS 16 after the post of senior foreman was renamed transport officer.

Another official, Javed Masih was appointed as chiller operator, a BPS 7 post, in 2004.

His cadre was upgraded to BPS 9 in 2007 and to BPS 14 in 2010. His post was upgraded to BPS 16 later and the post was renamed operating officer. The inquiry report says this post never existed before in the CDA.

The report goes on to say that two officials of the Human Resource Department, Riaz Khan and Yasir Gill, joined the CDA in 2008 as inspectors enforcement and that they were later upgraded from BPS 16 to BPS 17 as assistant directors.

Ammadud Din Mohmmad joined the CDA in 2010 on contract basis and his post was converted to assistant director, BPS 17. He was upgraded to the post of deputy director, BPS 18, within 14 months of him joining the civic agency on contract.

According to CDA officials, successive corrupt administrations of the CDA are responsible for out-of-way promotions and the changes in cadre.

“Our former bosses wanted to cover up their wrong doings and corruption and the union took advantage of their weakness and got promotions of their choice,” a CDA official said.

When contacted, Director Public Relations Mazhar Hussein, who was also a member of the inquiry committee said the committee was tasked with probing 1,068 cases of up-gradations and re-designation.

“We were only able to get 46 files as the Human Resource Department did not hand over employees’ personal files to us. So, out of 46 cases, we found only one in which the rules and regulations were followed,” he said, adding that the committee was of the view that except for one, all 1,068 cases of up-gradations were in violation of the rules and regulations.

However, the member administration said action will also be taken against the officials who refused to share the official record with the inquiry committee.

When asked, Employees Union General Secretary Chaudhry Yaseen denied that the union was creating hurdles in the issuance of charge-sheets to employees who were given out of the way promotions. However, he said, the administration’s step is not justified.

“The matter is already in the Supreme Court. Let the apex court decide on it,” he said, adding that Federal Investigation Agency is also probing the matter and that the CDA is also issuing charge sheets all of a sudden.

“We will raise our at every forum to protect the rights of employees,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2017