The retired bureaucrats, living on extensions, are using capacity building projects to justify their appointments. PHOTO: FILE
As if this is not enough, projects worth about Rs1 billion launched in the name of ‘institutional strengthening’ have made matters worse as they are used as a tool by retired bureaucrats for winning extension in service.
Discussions with key officials of the PC and Planning Division reveal that divisions run deep in the ranks of officers and the District Management Group (DMG) has adopted a form of monopoly and taken control of the top hierarchy at the Planning Division, sidelining the Economist Group.
This has started taking its toll on economic planning and has also demoralised the economists.
The planning secretary and additional planning secretary are from the DMG while the joint chief economist is from the Economist Group.
According to the officials, Economist Group has not been allowed to groom and has been denied key posts. Their weak intellectual strength can be gauged from the fact that none of them could impress the PC deputy chairman to get appointed as chief economist of Pakistan, a post lying vacant for over two years.
Another post of joint chief economist (operations), which should be filled from the Economist Group, has been given to a DMG officer, Rizwan Bashir. The man is responsible for making plans, approving projects and preparing Public Sector Development Programme, irrespective of the fact that he has no experience in this area.
Ethnic lobbies
Apart from this, ethnic lobbies at the middle level and nepotism have plagued the system as one’s job is taken over by the other to get involved in the task and justify his presence. Even the Framework of Economic Growth – a key policy document prepared by the PC and a brainchild of PC Deputy Chairman Dr Nadeemul Haque, could not appeal to officers of both the Commission and the Division, the officials said.
Punjabi and Pashtun lobbies are said to be fighting for influence. Punjabi bureaucrats are holding top posts and mid-level administration is in the hands of Pashtuns. No one is from Sindh and Balochistan on top 18 positions of Grade 20 and 21, which are member and secretary-level posts.
Job extensions
An increasing trend that has been noted particularly in the finance ministry and the PC is that retired officers have kept official secrets close to their hearts.
Asif Sheikh has retired and even crossed 65 years of age, the maximum limit for any government job, but he is being paid from a Rs144.2 million institutional strengthening project and is acting as a key man of the PC in dealing with development projects.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Planning Secretary Hasan Nawaz Tarar defended Sheikh, saying the PC needed his expertise. He stressed that the 65-year age limit did not apply to hiring for specific projects.
He elaborated that different projects had different age limit requirements, but in most of the cases age limit was not explicitly stated.
Officials of the PC and Planning Division argue that these people have ruined the Commission where work on grooming officers is hampered as the body is virtually run by a few handpicked people.
The retired bureaucrats, living on extensions, are using capacity building projects to justify their appointments. Four such projects that were initiated at a total cost of Rs275 million have seen their costs surge over the years to Rs884 million.
These projects are Promoting Professional Excellence in Planning Division costing Rs346 million, Institutional Strengthening and Efficiency Enhancement of Planning Division (Rs144.2 million), Framework for Institutional Cooperation Programme (Rs353.3 million) and Establishment of Special Project Cell (Rs40.4 million).
About two years ago, the PC deputy chairman had closed these projects, but he had to give in to the pressure from former political masters, who ordered him to restart the projects.
At the top level, the PC deputy chairman has been rendered ineffective by the bureaucracy. Haque has remained silent during most of his three-year tenure and when he started talking about real economic issues he was sidelined.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2013.
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