Making cuts: G-B works dept officials face demotion over illegal appointments

Nearly 1,000 people have been removed from their posts in the past six months.

GILGIT:

At least two senior engineers from Gilgit-Baltistan’s (G-B) Works Department may be demoted for ignoring protocol and wrongfully awarding public positions.

Superintendent Engineer Wazir Tajwar and Executive Engineer Nazeer Hussain were accused of making over 3,500 illegal appointments in the works department across several districts in previous years. These positions reportedly account for Rs1.2 billion in salaries every year.



This issue has been raised many times in the G-B legislative assembly and officials demanded the appointments be investigated.

A recent enquiry concluded the suspected inductions were illegal and were causing a huge burden on G-B’s financial resources.

“G-B Chief Secretary (CS) Younus Dagha has forwarded a summary to the chief minister for their demotion in light of the investigation’s recommendations,” a senior administration official told The Express Tribune on Monday.

The enquiry was conducted by a team headed by Secretary Education Nawaz Naseem.

According to officials, if Chief Minister Mehdi Shah signs the summary, both officials will be bumped down by one grade.

With complaints flooding CS Dagha’s office, nearly 1,000 people, who were wrongfully appointed, have been sacked over the past six months.

According to political pundits, the campaign to fire public officials has taken a toll on Shah’s government, which is nearing the end of its five-year term in December. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2014.