KARACHI, Feb 7: The Sindh Service Tribunal set aside on Friday a provincial irrigation department order for deduction of Rs1,382 per month from the salary of a grade-6 employee to recover from him the cost of stolen copper wire amounting to Rs1,056,855.

Miskeen Ali, assistant storekeeper, salinity control and reclamation project, Khairpur Mirs, was held responsible for the theft of burnt copper wire from an old SCARP store and was asked to make up for the loss caused by him.

A petition filed by him before the tribunal, through Advocate Nawaz Shaikh, said he was not associated with the inquiry held into the wire theft. He was neither issued a showcause notice, nor was he chargesheeted by the competent authority. In fact, no regular inquiry was conducted. The department failed to decide his appeal against the inquiry officer’s order within 90 days as required by the rules.

He also claimed that he joined service as “helper” in 1979 and was soon promoted to “store issuer” in grade-4. He was promoted to assistant storekeeper in grade-6 on the basis of his efficiency and fitness.

The tribunal consisted of Justice Abdul Ghani Shaikh as chairman and Syed Noor Ahmed Shah and Yusuf Ali Mirza as members.