LACK of interest by the Sindh government in Provincial Management Service (PMS) makes one think it is an ‘inferior cadre’. Such apathy by the provincial government has evoked a great deal of angst amongst recently-recommended PMS officers of Sindh.

Though the constitutional status of the PMS is crystal clear and requires no clarification, there is a need for the correction of the negative streak of mind developed.

Unlike ex-PCS cadre, the merger of assistant commissioner and section officer posts in PMS will ensure a horizontal and vertical mobility while yielding the skillset to PMS officers.

Moreover, the PMS cadre has an extended appeal and major say in local government mechanisms which ultimately ensures better management and diversity across the board.

Owing to space constraints, the innumerable benefits of PMS over ex-PCS cannot be explicitly mentioned here. Thus, the custodians of provincial management should adopt a welcoming behaviour towards PMS instead of reviving ex-PCS cadre.

Misbah
Pano Aqil

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2020