PESHAWAR: A senior official of the health department has given a befitting response to a letter containing insulting language by the personal staff officer (PSO) of the provincial health minister and has asked him to avoid such unethical language in future otherwise he will complain to the chief minister.

On January 14, Niaz Mohammad, the PSO to Health Minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan, wrote a letter to Sher Gul Safi, the chief planning officer (CPO), regarding delay in preparation of a presentation about the update on the schemes of Annual Development Programme and donor-funded projects wherein he used harsh language.

The one-page letter entitled “displeasure” was also copied to director-general health services. It asked the CPO that despite lapse of target date of January 11, 2019, no reply had been received from him which clearly showed lack of interest towards timely disposal of important official businesses and also presented bad image of the department in public.

Chief planning officer warns to complain to chief minister

“I am further directed to convey you the displeasure of the health minister for your unprofessional attitude and finally direct to refrain from such practices in future, otherwise, matter will be dealt in seriously under the prevailing rules,” it said.

The letter also informed the health secretary to reflect the same in the Annual Performance Evaluation Reports of the officer concerned.

The CPO, in response, sent a letter to the PSO of minister on January 29 wherein he pointed out that that there was no lack of interest towards timely disposal of important official business and being public servants “we were working in the department to present its good and not bad image to the public but there is a proper procedure and system of handling of official business.”

“In this case while conveying an unjustified displeasure, a very naïve, unethical, unparliamentary and unprofessional language and attitude has been adopted with senior officials without keeping in view ground realities,” he said.

Mr Safi also advised the PSO of the minister to withdraw the letter and be careful in future and use appropriate, professional, ethical and official language while addressing seniors in age, qualification, experience and grades, otherwise he would be proceeded against for violation of rules and the matter would be brought into the notice of chief minister, chief secretary and establishment secretary.

He has also explained the causes of the delay in the assignment and said that the required information included updated releases and expenditure.

The Annual Development Programme (ADP) projects involve incurrence of expenditure on the part of the executing agency — communication and works department-- and its booking in SAP system.

The last meeting was held on January 11 in communication and works department and the progress report about releases and expenditures about health projects was sent to planning and development department on January 14.

The required presentation couldn’t be prepared without it.

Sources said that the best way to handle the matter was verbal communication. In any case, secretary health was responsible for overall working of secretariat and director general for directorate so the communication should be made with those two top officers, they said. They added that it was disgraceful for senior official.

Sources said that there was no position of PSO with any minister as they had private secretaries. “Seen in this context, the authority issuing the letter is not recognised in budget book as well as official hierarchy. Otherwise this episode is in bad taste and should have been avoided,” they added.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2019