MUZAFFARABAD, April 20: Some certain amendments in the rules for promotion and posting of the AJK Legislative Assembly secretariat employees have been made by Speaker Sardar Siab Khalid with a view to enhancing their efficiency.

Talking to Dawn in his office on Saturday, Sardar Siab Khalid said he was not satisfied with the working of the employees of the assembly secretariat where so far seniority was the only consideration for promotion and not the performance or ability of the employee concerned.

The inefficiency and declining standard of working was mainly because the employees thought that their seniority was enough to take them into next grades, which ought to be removed, he said.

According to new rules, every officer in BPS-17 and 18 would be required to qualify a test to become eligible for promotion in next grade, the Speaker said, adding that a similar procedure was in practice for the promotion of employees in the four provincial assemblies of Pakistan.

Responding to a question, he said though the department’s selection committee would conduct the tests but he would ensure, at all costs, that the process was transparent so that no one could point finger against it.

In this regard, setting of the (question) papers by the Public Service Commission could also be considered, he said.

About the other amendment, he said there were three methods of recruitment in the assembly secretariat in grade 1 to 20 — either by direct appointment; by promotion; or by deputation. But the post of secretary in BPS 21 could only be filled either by promotion or by deputation.

By inserting a provision, it has been provided that any person eligible to be appointed as judge of the High Court could also be directly appointed as secretary assembly (in BPS-21), he said.

The post of secretary assembly fell vacant two days ago after the retirement of Nazir Khokhar, and it was speculated that the said amendment had been made for induction of some particular person. However, Sardar Siab Khalid rejected the assumption.