Civil service: 11 officers hold additional charge of key posts

Services and General Administrative Department says short of officers.

LAHORE:

As many as 11 top slots in the provincial bureaucracy are being run on additional charge, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Finance Department rules say additional charge of a vacant post may be held by an officer for three months. This term may be extended for another three months in consultation with the Finance Department.

On expiry of six months of additional charge of a particular vacant post, the post would be treated as having been abolished, and it cannot be revived without the concurrence of the Finance Department.

Finance Secretary Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan is currently holding additional charge of energy additional chief secretary since November 4 last year. Yet, the Energy Department did not seek extension of the additional charge from Finance Department on expiry of the three months (February 4).

Additional Advocate General Mustafa Ramday is holding additional charge of the office of advocate general since July 2013.

Agriculture Secretary Ijaz Munir is holding the additional charge of the Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement project director since July 2013.

Mines and Mineral Development Secretary Dr Arshad is holding the additional charge of Punjmin Managing Director since December 26 last year.

Industries Secretary Irfan Ali is holding the additional charge of TEVTA chairman since February 2013 in addition to his own duties.

Fasialabad District Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mangel has had additional charge of FDA director general since November 7.

Multan DCO Zahid Saleem Gondal has had additional charge of MDA director general since November 7.

Lahore Commissioner Rashid Mahmood has had additional charge of Lahore Ring Road Authority chairperson since October 26.

Planning and Development Secretary Arif Anwer Baloch has held additional charge of the office of chief economist since August 19 last year.

Planning and Development Board Chairman Muhammad Irfan Elahi has been serving as the project manager of the computerisation of land revenue record for 15 months.

The additional charge of chief administrator, Markz-e-Taiba, Muridke was with Khaqan Babar, the managing director of the Seed Corporation since September 3, 2012. A Finance Department official said the additional charge holder gets a Rs6,000 per month allowance.

“Additional charge is given a stop-gap arrangement. It should not go beyond six months,” he said.

“Additional charge comes with possession of vehicles and staff at your disposal,” he said.

An official of the Services and General Administrative Department (S&GAD) said the Finance Department had written to the S&GAD in November to discourage extension in the period of additional charge.

The S&GAD responded saying there was a shortage of officers and the department may extend the tenure of additional charge to two years. No decision has been taken in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2014.