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KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday decided to declare 58 posts of grade BS-21 and BS-20 as floating posts due to shortfall of 140 officers of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) in the provincial government institutions.
The cabinet in its meeting observed that the provincial government, during the last three years, as on average had been facing 50 per cent shortage of grade BS-21 officers of PAS, over 75pc shortage of BS-20 officers and 80pc shortage of BS-19 officers, therefore, it decided to declare 58 posts of grade BS-21 and BS-20 as floating posts.
The cabinet meeting, held under chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House, was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and advocate general of Sindh.
The cabinet was told that due to shortfall of PAS officers and cancellation of additional and look-after charges by courts of law, a large number of important posts were lying vacant which were adversely affecting the functioning of the provincial government institutions.
In such a situation the ultimate sufferer was the general public.
It was revealed in the cabinet meeting that there were 25 posts of BS-21 in Sindh, of them 16 posts belonging to PAS as their share.
Currently, only five officers of PAS were working and 11 posts [of grade BS-21] were vacant.
Similarly, out of 142 sanctioned posts of grade BS-20, the PAS has a share of 67 posts but only 19 officers are working, and 48 posts are vacant.
Out of 277 posts of grade BS-19 the PAS has a share of 59 posts against which only 25 officers are working, and 34 posts are vacant.
The chief minister said that in order to ensure smooth functioning of government institutions, filling up of at least important positions was necessary.
The meeting participants were informed that the heavy shortfall of 140 PAS officers was observed because the federal government was reluctant to transfer them to Sindh against their share.
It was pointed out that details of posts in the share of PAS, working strength and shortfall, were roughly worked out for the last six years.
The cabinet decided to declare 11 posts of BS-21, including that of chairman planning and development board, chairman CM inspection and enquiries team, chairman Anti-Corruption Establishment and commissioner Karachi division as floating posts in BS-20/BS-21.
On declaring such posts in BS-20/BS-21, the same can be filled from among BS-20 officers of PAS, Ex-PCS and PSS also on the basis of seniority.
Water shortage
Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro told the cabinet that the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) had allowed transfer of water from Indus to Jhelum-Chenab system through C-J and T-P Link Canals, as a result standing crops were turning pale.
The cabinet urged Irsa to stop flowing water into Jhelum-Chenab system and release water to Sindh.
The cabinet also urged power distribution companies to overhaul their system and install new transformers in rural areas.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2021
