Public Service Ordinance 1978: K-P Assembly approves amendments

New rules seek to curb corrupt practices.

PESHAWAR:

The provincial assembly on Friday unanimously approved several amendments in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission Ordinance, 1978.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (PSC) (Amendments) Bill 2011 was tabled by Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Arshad Abdullah before the house seeking approval of the amendments proposed by the provincial government.

Some parliamentarians opposed full amendments and wanted them done clause-wise, but later agreed to Abdullah’s request. The minister informed the house that the government had proposed a reduction in the appointment tenure of commission members from five to three years and re-appointment or extension in services to be banned once a member turns 60.

Under the amendments, all posts in basic pay scales from BPS-11 to BPS-15 or equivalent in all administrative departments and attached departments of the government, except the district cadre will be filled through the PSC.

Abdullah said that members and other officers of the administrative departments conducting commission interviews cannot use pencil and must use ink pen in an attempt to curb corrupt practices. The use of pencil in the past led to interviewees bribing interviewers, who would conveniently change marks obtained by the interviewees after receiving the bribe. Abdullah said it was a common practice to change pencil-written marks and added that applications to the PSC would be computerised and candidates would only apply online in the future.

“It’s a historic day with the government bringing amendments in the PSC ordinance 1978,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2011.