ISLAMABAD, May 24: The federal government has abolished as many as 41,972 posts since August 2000, but it is yet to take a decision about the officers of the Military Land and Cantonment Group.

Sources in the Establishment Division told Dawn that at present two options were being prepared about the future of these 74 officials to be presented to the president. The president has directed the Establishment Division to submit a presentation on this issue on June 14, 2002.

Under the proposal, either the Military Land and Cantonment Group (MLCG) should be merged with the District Management Group or their career management should be improved.

The group has a sanctioned strength of 74, of which 60 officers are presently working. The group suffers from inadequate career prospects, non-diversity of experience and is likely to become a dying cadre due to stoppage of induction through civil service in BS-17, the sources said.

The Establishment Division has suggested that some of the posts should be upgraded, while 25 per cent of the officers in BS-18 and 19 be provided with due total leave (DTL), encourage horizontal mobility in the federal, provincial governments and autonomous bodies and make mandatory tenure in the federal secretariat for their diverse experience.

Official sources said that the government had been able to abolish 41,976 posts, of which 28,891 were abolished by Pakistan Railways. Eight federal ministries have not yet implemented the staff reduction of around 1,825 posts as committed.

This also included staff reduction of 740 employees and abolition of 745 posts by various ministries. Various departments have reduced their staff by 2,637 and abolished 3,413 posts. Autonomous bodies and corporations (other than Pakistan Railways) relieved around 9,891 employees and abolished 8,970 posts.

The restructuring committee had proposed to increase 1,366 posts in various divisions and departments but the number was later reduced to 796 posts.

Despite the whole exercise, only 1,152 employees were put in the surplus pool out of which 604 people have been absorbed in other offices.