ISLAMABAD: Seven years ago, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) started a process to verify the degrees of its employees. However, due to the negligence of the civic agency the procedure is yet to be completed as 36 officers are reluctant to hand over their educational credentials to the authority.

A source in the CDA told Dawn that the 36 officers in grade 16 and above had been using delaying tactics to hand over their educational credentials to the degree verification cell of the civic agency. The cell gets the degrees verified from the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The source said the delaying tactics used by the officers and the lax attitude of the CDA towards them strengthened the view that the officers did not possess the required degrees. “Yes, there are almost 36 officers who have not provided their educational credentials despite repeated reminders for a few years,” said Asif Shahjahan, who heads the degree verification cell of the CDA.

He said he had informed the concerned directorates about the situation.

Delaying tactics used by the officers strengthen the view that they do not possess the degrees

“The salaries of the officers in question have already been stopped for the last two months. In coming days, they could face serious action such as termination from service,” an officer in the CDA administration wing added.

He said before taking the final action of dismissal, the officers would be given an opportunity of personal hearing. Those who failed to submit their attested degrees to the degree verification committee were earlier issued a final show-cause notice and their salaries stopped.

In 2011, the civic body initiated the process to verify the degrees of its 17,000 employees (15,000 non-gazetted and 2,000 officers) after reports that some staff members had submitted fake educational certificates.

During the seven-year-long process, the CDA got verified the degrees and certificates of all the employees except the 36 officers and a number of low-grade employees who were already facing FIRs for submitting bogus educational certificates.

An official in the civic agency said besides the fake degree holders, action should also be taken against officers who could not complete the process of degree verification in seven years.

“It’s a matter of shame for us that this matter is still pending even after seven years,” said the official, who requested not to be named.

“I do agree the process of degree verification should have been completed in a short period of time. But let me make it clear, it was the incumbent management which stopped the salaries of the employees who did not submit their degrees. We also got FIRs registered against five employees for submitting bogus educational certificates,” said CDA spokesperson Mazhar Hussain.

He said after completing the legal formalities the civic agency would take strict disciplinary action against the officers that could lead to termination of their services.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2017