Under the microscope: Civic agency chief summoned over ‘illegal’ promotions

Around 1,000 staffers were given dubious promotions between 2007 and 2012 .

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned the Capital Development Authority chairman on November 27 after it rejected the authority’s interim report on controversial promotions in the civic agency.

The SC Human Rights Cell had taken notice of a TV report on October 31 which said that various CDA officials were promoted out of turn between 2007 and 2012.

According to the TV report, around a thousand officials of different scales were illegally promoted during the tenures of former CDA chairmen Farkhand Iqbal and Imtiaz Inayat Elahi.



The report claimed that nine grade-18 officers and 59 grade-16 and 17 officials were promoted illegally. Similarly, 26 CDA hospital staffers including nine doctors were controversially promoted.

Earlier, the SC Human Rights Cell had sought details of all improper and irregular upgradations and promotions in the CDA made in recent past. The CDA had submitted a reply, which the cell declared unsatisfactory and forwarded the case for hearing.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk on Thursday took up the case on Thursday.

During the hearing, a CDA official submitted an interim report on the promotions. The report said the issue was brought before a National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) labour court.

The report said that the authority has forwarded 191 cases of improper upgradations and promotions to an inquiry committee headed by the CDA Administration director general. It said that all the officials will be given opportunities to present their cases before the committee.

The interim report also stated that 112 officials have received show-cause notices over illegal upgradation. The inquiry committee, it said, would conclude its work within two months.

On the other hand, Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood informed the bench that CDA had only furnished details of low-grade officials and did not provide any details about senior officers who may have been promoted illegally.

The bench then summoned the CDA chairman on November 27 and directed him to bring along a comprehensive report.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2014.