ISLAMABAD: The third inquiry committee looking into cases of upgrading and changing of cadres of CDA employees has revealed that most of the officials, whose cases were examined, had illegally been upgraded.

The committee in its report submitted to CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed recommended de-notifying the illegally upgraded/re-designated cadres.

Sources in the administration wing said the civic body’s chairman referred the case to their wing to proceed further.

Third probe committee seeks de-notification of illegal upgradation/change of cadres

The three-member inquiry committee headed by a CDA grade-20 officer Dr Shahid Mehmood was formed last year. It submitted its report to the chairman office a few days ago. The committee examined 85 cases and found most of the upgradation and cadre changes illegal.

The report, (available with Dawn) states: “The committee has examined each individual case separately and given marks. The committee endorsed the previous committees’ findings in most of the cases. This committee also concluded that apart from a few cases majority of employees had been upgraded/re-designated or allowed cadre change illegally in violation of preconditions defined by the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan and the procedure laid down in the CDA Employees Service Regulations 1992. In addition, there was a ban imposed by CDA Board on upgradation/change of cadre vide letter dated 03-09-2010.”

The upgradations were made on pick and choose basis benefiting some employees over others, which is a clear violation of the principles laid down in the apex court judgment, it added.

The report said in the first phase 85 cases were reviewed and in the next phase the remaining cases would be probed.

About the upgradation and change of cadres, two inquiry reports were finalised earlier which also pointed out violations.

In 2017, an inquiry report had pointed out that out of the total 1,068 cases only one change of cadre was carried out in accordance with rules and regulations.

“The inquiry committee observed that only one case of change of cadre of Ali Murtaza was done after due observations of rules and regulations, all other cases of upgradation/re-designation were made without observing the laid down procedure and that too on pick and choose method and in certain [cases] without having the upgraded post,” the inquiry report of 2017 had stated.

The fact-finding committee had recommended that all the illegal upgradation/re-designation may be de-notified.

Last year’s inquiry report was compiled by a three-member committee 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 CDA issued charge-sheets to about 100 employees but later the case was swept under the carpet.

The inquiry also cited some examples of upgradation. For instance, an official was appointed as a mechanic helper in 1982 but at present he is transport officer in BPS 16.

Another official was appointed as a chiller operator (BPS-7) in 2004. His cadre was upgraded to BPS 9 in 2007 and to BPS 14 in 2010. Later, the post was further upgraded to BPS 16 and renamed as operating officer. The inquiry report said the post never existed in the CDA before.

The report of 2017 added that another official joined the CDA in 2010 on contractual basis and his post was converted into assistant director (BPS 17).

Two officials of the Human Resource Department joined the CDA in 2008 as inspectors enforcement wing and were later upgraded from BPS 16 to BPS 17 as assistant directors.

However, ignoring the previous two inquires, the chairman CDA last year formed the third committee which finalised its first report.

One of the inquiry members said in the first phase 85 cases were probed and the remaining over 900 cases would be investigated later.

When contacted, CDA spokesperson Safdar Ali said all cases would be decided in accordance with rules and regulations.

But another CDA official said instead of conducting inquiries one after the other, the authorities concerned should take action on merit against those who had been promoted at the cost of others.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2019