LAHORE: Employees of the Lahore High Court have demanded that the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) fill 75pc of the posts of assistants (BS-17) strictly under the rules.

The process includes departmental examination of existing staff instead of promoting them on a seniority basis.

In a joint representation submitted to the DPC, the employees expressed their concern over the promotion of the senior and junior clerks to fill the posts of assistants without a mandatory departmental examination.

The rule 9 sub rule (1) of the LHC Establishment (Appointment & Conditions of Service) Rules says that regular appointment, promotion and confirmation to 75 per cent posts in Assistant grade shall be out of senior clerks and junior clerks with five years service and who have passed the departmental examination prescribed by the LHC.

The employees requested the committee that process of promotion as assistants be stopped unless the department fulfills the criteria of examination according to rules and all junior and senior clerks be considered for promotion as assistants and all of them may be put to departmental examination required by the rules.

Several previous working papers of the LHC Human Resource Department suggest that the 75pc promotion quota of the post of assistant has never been filled through departmental examination, therefore, no syllabus is available.

Insiders said even promotion-based filling of these posts lack its efficacy due to delay in promotions as direct appointees on the remaining 25pc quota through the Public Service Commission supersede the seniority of the existing officials.

There is another view within the establishment that supports filling these posts on promotion-based formula by relaxing the rules. They argue that officials having low qualification but long service would not get their due promotion if they are asked to go through departmental examination.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2019