LAHORE, Jan 13: The Punjab bureaucracy has absolved two of its grade-20 officers of corruption charges but axed another officer of the same grade on identical charges.
Mr Azhar Hussain Shamim, a former secretary, Zakat and Ushr, was removed from service for issuing print order for Food Stamp booklets worth Rs3.5 million without inviting quotations and advertizing the indent. Mr Hussain was proceeded against by the authority concerned although two of his predecessors — Mr Tariq Yousaf and Mr Athar Tahir, both grade-20 district management group officers — had got the same kind of booklets printed without inviting tenders and advertizing the indent.
Mr Hussain’s appeal to the president, competent authority in this case, was rejected in Oct, 2001. But a few days later, the president (chief executive) Secretariat, realizing the mistake, wrote to the Establishment Division in another order that Mr Hussain “has been meted out discriminatory treatment as none of his two predecessors had followed the provisions of the purchase manual and the competent authority is pleased to order proceedings against two of his predecessors.”
Subsequently, the Establishment Division asked the Government of Punjab to provide complete details, case material including draft charge sheets against delinquent officers so that formal disciplinary proceedings under the Removal from Service Ordinance, 2000, may be initiated against them also.
But, the then chief secretary, Mr Imtiaz Masroor, who was also one-man inquiry committee against Mr Hussain in the first instance, instead of following the order from the president, referred the case to the Zakat and Ushr secretary on Nov 13, 2001.
The secretary, on his own, absolved the two predecessors of Mr Hussain of the identical charges. He maintained that one of his predecessors had waived off the condition of tendering and advertizing the indent and he, as secretary/chief purchasing officer, was competent to do so. But the secretary failed to explain why Mr Hussain was not competent to do so despite being secretary/chief purchase office.
Instead of sending the case material to the president, the secretary initiated a summary to the Punjab governor. Routed through the chief secretary, the summary reached the Governor’s House on Dec 12, 2001.
Sensing the delicacy of the matter, the governor asked the Zakat and Ushr secretary to personally discuss the matter with him.
The secretary has been sitting on the matter for the last one year. During this period, he contacted the military secretary of the governor for discussion. But, obviously, the military secretary, having nothing to do with such a matter, did not arrange the meeting, and matter has still been with him (the Zakat and Ushr secretary) for the last 14 months. During this period, the Establishment Division has written four reminders to no avail.