Regularising contractual officials: Civic authority in defiance of SC laws
According to official sources, two CDA officials in particular, Deputy Director Hassan Rizvi and Assistant Director Zia Shah, who were both initially employed on a contractual basis, have been regularised by the authority despite Supreme Court’s recent order to terminate redundant officials working on extension or contractual basis. They were appointed without consultation with the establishment division or advertising the posts on media, according to sources.
The newly appointed deputy director, Rizvi, was previously serving as a project director in the directorate of municipal administration. He was initially appointed at the post on a contractual basis during the tenure of the previous CDA chairperson, Kamran Lashari.
A CDA official on condition of anonymity said that CDA has appointed many officials in BPS-18 and BPS-19 during the present and former government’s tenure without consulting the establishment division.
“The chairperson approved conversion of Rizvi’s post under pressure. The decision will also affect seniority of other officials,” the official said.
The other official, Shah, was recently appointed as assistant director of CDA by the authority’s chairperson. He was previously serving as Elahi’s staff officers, according to the CDA official.
Director of CDA’s Human Resource Department, Safdar Shah, told The Express Tribune that CDA board and its chairperson have authorised the creation and alleviation of new posts, to regularise officials ranging from grades 18 to 20.
Safdar refused to comment on procedural lapses and the authority’s decision to regularise these officials, however.
When contacted, CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid said that the authority’s chairperson, Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, has the power to appoint and create posts up to grade-17, while appointments above BPS-17 require discretionary powers of the CDA board.
However a legal expert said that discretionary powers also require reasons. But no justification was given in this case. According to official sources, five directors in different directorates of CDA are already without any assignments.
Rizvi, when contacted, justified his regularisation by saying that during his tenure, he increased the authority’s revenues from Rs63.9 million to Rs213.97 million and executed several projects of public partnership establishing new markets.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2011.
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