VEHARI, Nov 27: The district nazim has cancelled appointments of over 100 people recruited recently in Works and Services Department. According to details collected by this correspondent here on Monday, EDO (Works) Muhammad Husain Pervez had made recruitment in accordance with the laid down policy. Appointment letters were also issued to the newly-recruited people while some of them had assumed their offices as well.

On Monday, District Nazim Syed Shahid Mehdi Shah cancelled all new appointments till the inquiry into the recruitments.

A source said that the district nazim had also stopped dozens of promotion cases of Works & Services Department employees.

When contacted, the EDO (Works) said that all appointments were made according to the Punjab government policy. He said that recruitments were made both on permanent and temporary basis.

Denying any dispute with the district nazim, he said the district nazim had cancelled these appointments because the required budget was not sanctioned for the purpose. However, he said the budget would be sanctioned in the district council meeting on Dec 5.

The EDO (Works) also said that there was no truth in stopping of the promotion cases of employees.

On the other hand, the district nazim claimed that appointments were cancelled on complaints of violation of the merit policy.

He said that he would discuss the matter with DCO Baber Hassan Bharwana and recruitments would be made on merit after an inquiry into the appointments. He denied that he tried to recruit his favourites.

Requesting anonymity, a district administration official said that the district nazim wanted to recruit some of his favorite people in the department, but the EDO (works) did not entertain them.

Another official of the district nazim office Jawed Iqbal confirmed that all appointments would be made afresh.

DO (planning) Mushtaq Tariq did admit that new appointments had been cancelled. While the Vehari DCO was not available in his office to offer comment on the issue.