VEHARI, April 9: The education department has made appointments recently on `political grounds’ on almost all 274 grade-4 vacant seats for three-year contract in different colleges and schools in Vehari district.
The information gleaned by this correspondent revealed that over 90 per cent of these posts were filled on the recommendation of the ruling party MPAs, MNAs, the district nazim, tehsil nazims, the provincial minister and officials of the education department.
The recruitment committee, comprising six members and headed by EDO (education), had interviewed thousands of candidates from June 19 to 24, 2006, which was merely a formality.
Several meetings had been held between MPAs and education department officials after interviews from June 2006 to March 2007 for the settlement or the selection of favourite candidates. Deliberations were so long drawn out because every ruling party representative wanted the appointment of maximum number of his desired candidates.
A few days back, the appointment of favourite candidates issue was resolved in the DCO office in the presence of most of ruling party MPAs and education officials.
A PML MPA seeking anonymity said that 15 to 20 seats were filled on the recommendation of every ruling party MPA and MNA.
Another source claimed that the merit policy was entirely ignored as recruitments on these seats were made purely on political ground.
He said the process of interview was only a formality to satisfy candidates who applied for these vacant posts. It was also alleged that some education officials had sold out some vacant seats, which were not mentioned in the advertisement. However, the department officials denied the report.
The source said that March 31, 2007, was the last date for appointment on vacant seats.
He said the education department sent appointment letters to offices of legislators, the minister, the district nazim and the tehsil nazim who were handing over these letters to their favourite candidates in their party offices or residences.
PML-N leader Chaudhry Zahid Anwar Wahla and husband of Tehmina Daultana said that only the district government was authorized to fill all the vacant seats on merit basis.
He claimed that the recruitments out of merit were a clear violation of the local government ordinance. He said appointments in other departments like literacy and health were also being made on the recommendation of the ruling party MPAs and MNAs, which was entirely unjustified.
When some rejected candidates contacted the education office, the official on duty suggested them that they should move the court for justice because it would provide an opportunity to officials to earn through TADA.
According to a senior district administration official, the education department had violated the recruitment policy of the Punjab government.
According to the rule, he said: “the appointing authority shall advertise the post in at least two national dailies indicating the qualifications, etc. as prescribed in the service rules”.
He said the recruitment committee chairman was not the appointing authority, but he published the advertisement on June 10, 2006, in violation of the rules.
He said only the appointing authority, the head of every educational institution, was authorized to publish the advertisement of vacant posts.
When contacted, EDO (education) Ms Naseem Mansoor denied that recruitments were made on the recommendation of the ruling party legislators. She claimed that merit was the only criteria in the filling of vacant posts.
She disconnected the phone when this reporter told her that a ruling party MPA had admitted that 15 candidates were appointed on the recommendation of every MPA and MNA.
District nazim Syed Shahid Mehdi Naseem was not available for comments while DCO Babar Hasan Bharwana was in Lahore.
District naib nazim Muhammad Yousaf Kasalia said that the Punjab government had reserved the job quota for the ruling party legislators.
He did admit that 20 to 25 seats were reserved for the district nazim and naib nazim, eight to 10 for the tehsil nazim and 15 to 20 seats for MNAs and MPAs of the ruling party.
Mr Kasalia claimed that maximum appointments were made on merit while few seats were filled on the recommendation of the ruling party`s seven MPAs out of eight, four MNAs, three tehsil nazims, the district nazim, the naib nazim and one provincial minister.