LAHORE, Oct 6: A good number of officials of the Punjab Prisons Department has been working in their own pay scales even after upgrading of scales under the new service rules framed in July 2010, it’s learnt.

The prisons inspector general, all deputy inspectors general of police and most of senior jail superintendents, superintendents and officials of low ranks have been posted to the upgraded posts in their own pay scales because of limitations of the new service rules.

The post of prisons IG has been upgraded to BS-21, DIG to BS-20, AIG/central jail superintendent to BS-19, district jail superintendent to BS-18, deputy superintendent to BS-17, assistant superintendent to BS-16, chief warder to BS-9, head warder to BS-7 and warder to BS-5.

The officials will have to wait for few more years, depending upon the overall length of their service and length of service in existing scale on a regular basis, to get regular status in the next scale. They will keep working in upgraded scales with all facilities except pay.

According to the new Punjab Prisons Department Service Rules 2010, the prisons IG will be a BS-21 officer and he will be promoted on merit from amongst the DIGs having at least 22 years of service in BS-17 and above out of which at least two-year service should be as prisons DIG in BS-20 on a regular basis. He will attend the National Management Course at the National Management College or National Defence Course at the National Defense University for promotion to BS-21.

The incumbent IG does not meet the new criteria and that he will have to wait for about six years to meet the length of service condition.

The post of prisons DIG has been upgraded to BS-20 with promotion on the basis of seniority-cum-fitness from amongst AIGs/superintendents of central jails having at least 17 years of service in BS-17 and above out of which three-year service should be as AIG/superintendent of a central jail in BS-19 on a regular basis. He has been bound to attend the Senior Management Course at the National Management College for promotion to BS-20. There are five DIGs in the department who do not meet the conditions set in the new service rules for regular promotions. As a result, they are working on upgraded posts in their own pay scales.

Similarly, the posts of AIGs and central jail superintendents have been upgraded to BS-19 with criteria of seniority-cum-fitness, 12 years of service in BS-17 and above and at least four-year service in BS-18 on a regular basis. For promotion to BS-19, an officer will attend the Course in Management and Administration at the Management & Professional Development Department (MPDD).

A superintendent of the district jail will be a BS-18 officer with criteria of seniority-cum fitness and five-year experience as jail deputy superintendent in BS-17. The MPDD course has also been made mandatory for promotion to BS-18.

From the rank of deputy superintendent of jail to warder the scales have been revised from BS-17 to BS-5 with different criteria and condition of training courses. Furthermore, 87 posts - from director for development (BS-19) to junior cook (BS-1) - have been upgraded in the new service rules.

Currently, senior most officer of the department and DIG (Headquarters) Mian Farooq Nazir is participating in the NMC course at National Management College, Lahore. Nazir, who is a BS-20 officer, was made coordination officer in the Punjab Home Department after being transferred from the post of prisons IG a couple of years ago.

A senior official said that officials posted on upgraded posts would have to wait for some more years to enjoy regular perks and privileges with major benefit of increase in pay. He said the service structure had been streamlined and designations had been made almost parallel with the police department.