KARACHI, Jan 6: The Sindh Public Service Commission is annoyed at a latest exercise conducted by the Sindh education department for appointment of 486 lecturers in colleges on ad hoc basis.

The SPSC, it is learnt, is not happy over the new exercise, "because it amounts to undermining its status and may also affect its sovereignty". Officials are of the view that the education department's move amounts to introducing a parallel system of selecting candidates, which, they said, could not be justified.

They questioned the procedure for appointment of teachers in Grade 17. The education department is all set to appoint 228 men and 258 women as ad hoc teachers in various colleges of the province in 20 different subjects.

The officials are of the view that the education department be asked to stop appointments. Responding to the education department's advertisement of Jan 4, the unemployed degree-holders have started visiting offices of the local EDO of Higher Education where applications for ad hoc appointment of six months are supposed to be submitted.

Having little faith on the invitation for jobs, the prospective candidates said like in the past, the matter pertaining to jobs might again fall prey to political expediencies.

The possibilities of political appointments under the new scheme cannot be ruled out, they said, adding, they would have no option, but to continuously ask for their destiny, since they are jobless and have no political connections.

Giving details about the advertisement and follows-up action on appointment of teachers, a source in the education circle said the education and literacy department had forwarded a requisition for hiring 375 lecturers (BPS-17) in October 2001, responding to which the commission received about 7,000 applications, but no action could be taken as it was decided at a later stage that the government would fill in posts on district basis.

In 2003, the education department again advertised 752 posts of lecturers which were to be filled on contract basis. The written test was conducted by a private firm and interviews were monitored by five committees constituted by the education department. These committees had member each from the SPSC as head of the committee concerned.

However, the selection process for a three-year contractual job programme became controversial at some stage and since then the posting of successful candidates in different colleges lingers on.

On a recent requisition for recruitment of 486 lecturers by the Sindh education department, the SPSC again initiated the process for recruitment in mid-October, 2004, and received over 5,500 applications. The SPSC normally charges Rs500 from each and every candidate as examination fee.

In a letter addressed to the Sindh chief secretary, the SPSC observed that it had finalized a plan to hold tests and interviews of the candidates in question just after Eidul Azha.

However, the publication of a fresh advertisement by the education department about the same posts had put the credibility of the SPSC at stake, the letter included.

A senior official of the commission said in the past, too, the commission was not allowed to complete the process of recommendations and the issuance of advertisements for recruitment to the post of lecturers at this stage would surely cause a dent to the reputation and credibility of the SPSC.