CHITRAL: An official at the deputy commissioner’s office here has been holding the post of superintendent of Levies Force for the last 25 years apart from keeping two additional assignments of superintendent of sports and relief distribution.

A knowledgeable source requesting anonymity told Dawn that the official was lucky enough to evade the axe of the incumbent chief secretary who had clearly ordered the transfer and reshuffle of the officials working on the same post for two years.

He said that Levies Force functioned under the federal ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) commanded by the deputy commissioner as its ex-officio commandant, and it had separate ministerial staff. He said it was an anomaly to assign him the charge of sports and relief which pertained to the district administration.

He said that the sports section in the DC office was entrusted with holding the famous Shandur festival annually apart from other festivals, including Kagh Lusht and district polo cup tournaments.

The source said the relief section carried relief and rehabilitation activities in the villages hit by natural disasters. He said that after the bifurcation of the district last year, the official held the charge of Levies superintendent of Upper Chitral district as well.

He said that there was ministerial staff in grade-16 to hold the three posts separately, but despite that all three were concentrated in one person.

When contacted, Lower Chitral deputy commissioner Naveed Ahmed admitted the fact and said that the official would be relieved of his charge of relief section but would continue to retain the charge of Levies and sports sections.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2020