RAWALPINDI, Feb 19: The military bureaucracy has sought permission from the defence ministry to directly appoint army officers in the Military Lands and Cantonments (MLC) against vacant posts bypassing the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) recruitment rules, it has been learnt.

The move has sent a wave of concern in the civil bureaucracy which fears that such a step will change the civilian structure of the department. According to civilian officials in the MLC, the request is in defiance of the FPSC recruitment rules. A similar resentment is also found among candidates preparing for CSS examination.

Even the recruitment of lower staff is being handled by the army bureaucracy which earlier was the domain of the CEOs and MEOs concerned. It may be mentioned that a serious row is prevailing between the MLC director-general and civilian cantonment group officers.

An official said: "Army officers have no expertise in handling civic affairs and their induction will throw the civic bodies into chaos." Sources in the defence ministry said even the post of DG was a civilian slot.

In all, it is a 74-officer cadre in which there is only one grade-21 post, a cantonment official said. The incumbent DG is the second man to be posted on the post. Before, all the DGs were promoted from among the civilian cantonment officers, he added.

Sources said at present there were about 52 officers serving in different cantonments of the country. There is a shortage of 24 officers which the DG wants to fill from among army officers.

When contacted, an FPSC spokesman said: "If the posts lie in the purview of the Commission, then the army bureaucracy cannot change it. The posts will be filled through FPSC competitive examination," he added.