Inept workers: SC orders training of Sindh’s mukhtiarkars

Revenue dept told to devise a mechanism to evaluate their competency.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) directed on Thursday senior member of the board of revenue to devise a mechanism to evaluate competency of all mukhtiarkars performing their duties in the province.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Faisal Arab, also directed that all those not fulfilling the required competence should be removed from their posts. The bench passed this order while hearing a case regarding land utilisation in district Khairpur. The hearing was held at the SC’s Karachi Registry Branch.

The petitioner, Muhammad Safar, and others had approached the apex court against the utilisation of their land for the jail and police departments by the provincial government.

At the outset, the mukhtiarkar concerned appeared in court to answer queries about the utilisation of the land in question. Justice Muslim inquired about the utilisation of the land in question under the revenue laws but the mukhtiarkar failed to give a proper answer.

At this, the judge asked as to what were the duties and functions that the mukhtiarkar was supposed to perform but he failed to provide satisfactory answers to the judge’s queries. When asked about whether he had passed the necessary examination and undergone the training required before posting, the mukhtiarkar answered in negative. This irked the bench, which had to call the senior member of the board of revenue in person to explain the level of competency of the officers in the revenue department.

Later, appearing in the court, the senior member conceded that those mukhtiarkars who had not undergone training did not know much about their duties and the functions of the department.

Expressing extreme shock over the competency of the officers of the revenue department, Justice Muslim asked that how the officials who were not aware of their duties and responsibilities were working on the important posts of mukhtiarkars. “You should further promote them and appoint them [to the posts of] deputy commissioners,” Justice Muslim told the senior member.

The bench directed the senior member to devise a mechanism to evaluate the competency of the mukhtiarkars. Under the mechanism, their service record should be examined to see whether they have passed the mandatory examination and undergone training.

Upon completion of the process, the bench members clearly told the senior member, all the incompetent mukhtiarkars should be removed from their posts and competent individuals should be posted to perform their duties efficiently.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2016.