Lethargic public service
Ad hocism and non-performance in civil service is a foregone conclusion. The Sindh Cabinet, the other day, by acknowledging that it faces acute shortage of officers in various tiers has just confirmed the obvious. This deficiency is owing to a crisscrossed relationship with the federal government, and the absence of provincial recruitment and officers’ grooming cadre. The Centre pulls its strings in a politicised manner while deputing officers, and the province too has its own pick and choose, which adversely impacts public service.
It is a pity that a large number of posts are lying vacant throughout Sindh, and most of them are from grade-19 and above. It means many of the departments are without an executive head, thus affecting day to day business of the state. This is a blot on governance, and points towards an inherent callousness in the system. It inadvertently leads to non-performance and, of course, corruption. There is no dearth of officers at the Centre and province, but the fact is that postings and transfers are subject to whims and wishes of the competent authorities, which is further jaundiced by political interference. Thus, until and unless, civil servants are freed from institutional harassment and political benchmarking, this lethargy will go on.
Sindh, moreover, faces another lacuna in terms of civil service as the court had suspended its Public Service Commission on grounds of irregularities and discrepancies in appointments. Apart from being a shock in terms of institutional performance, it spelt out a culture of substandard bureaucracy in our midst. This elicits close introspection while upgrading the system of education and recruitment profile to make it competitive and responsible in terms of governance.
The dog-fight between the federation and its units, wherein civil servants are used as pawns, must come to an end. Islamabad should immediately look into Sindh’s concern as it faces shortage of officers and address it on a long-term basis. A fair understanding of public grievances should be the cornerstone, as Sindh gears up to reconstitute its service commission.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2021.
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