ISLAMABAD, March 9: A major change in promotion policy of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) has created unrest among the commission’s general cadre employees.

Recently, the Establishment Division on the proposal of the FPSC’s management has issued a notification of amendments in the recruitment rules of general cadre posts.

Through these amendments, the Establishment Division has done away with the promotion formula under which BPS-16 officers from general cadre were promoted on the basis of their Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) and the length of their services.

Now, under the amended rules, officers have to appear in a written examination to get promoted.

Sources said amendments in the policy has stopped at least four BPS-16 officers from promotion so far.

The FPSC’s affected employees from across the country have started sending applications to their chairman for “reconsideration” of the revised recruitment rules.

Sources said the employees had decided to take the matter to the court if the chairman did not reverse the amendments within 90 days.

The employees are of the view that as per clause (b) of sub- section 2 of Section 9 of the Civil Servants Acts 1973, post promotion shall be made on the basis of seniority-cum-fitness. Seniority of every cadre is maintained separately whereas fitness of a civil servant is determined in terms of his ACR.

“Any other method has no legal force,” states one of the applications sent to the chairman of the FPSC.

It says the test and examination prescribed in the revised recruitment rules are therefore ultra vires.

The employees have also objected that re-tailoring of the promotion rules has merged the seniority of all other technical cadres (including stenographers) with the general cadre (administrative staff).

According to rule 7 of the Civil Servants Rules, promotions from BPS-2 to BPS-21 are required to be made on the recommendations of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC). There is no condition of promotion through appearing in examination.