ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Thursday expressed displeasure over transfers and postings in Pakistan Agriculture Research Council terming them unfair.

The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research took up the matter after the chairman of the committee Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah said that he had received complaints that acting chairman of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council had transferred senior most officials without following merit.

Members of committee also showed displeasure over publishing of advertisements regarding vacancies in PARC in newspapers which they said also against the instructions of the committee.

It was asserted that in addition to English and Urdu, advertisements must be published in regional dailies as well.

“We will look into the matter whether the acting chairman has made transfers in a transparent manner,” said chairman of the committee Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah.

The meeting observed that acting PARC chairman, Ghulam Ali, who took charge in October, had made 28 transfers since then.

Members expressed displeasure that an official of Grade 19 was promoted as Director General while senior qualified Grade 21 officers were sitting on the sidelines. Acting PARC chairman, who was also present on the occasion, said officials were unwilling to take on responsibilities of DG, while two others were close to being retired.

His response did not sit well with the members of the committee, who wondered if the acting chairman had the powers to make transfers.

Reviewing the list presented PARC regarding the vacant positions, the committee directed that details of marks obtained, interview committee, shortlisted candidates and grade wise postings be submitted to the committee.

The meeting expressed that irregular postings affected the functioning of Pakistan’s leading agriculture research facility.

Meanwhile, discussing the measures taken to fix a uniform support price for wheat in Pakistan, the committee stressed the need for formulating a mechanism to ensure that provinces follow the price.

The committee was of the view that this was the second year that the problem of wheat prices had arisen. It was recommended that a committee be formed comprising representatives from the Federal Government and the provinces and jointly fix a common uniform support price for wheat before commencement of the sowing season.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2021