RCB mulls layoffs to control payroll

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) was mulling moving redundant staff to other cantonment boards as its monthly salaries reach Rs150 million which has made the institution financially overburdened.

According to sources, a major part of the RCB’s income was being spent on salaries due to which expenditure on utility services and the developing budget was being affected. As a result, sources added, the department has made recommendations for dismissal of daily-wages employees and transfer of redundant employees to other Boards has been sent to the director general at the Military Lands and Cantonments (MLC) Headquarters.

The department has also decided to crackdown on administrative discipline in the institution, ensuring individuals were posted according to their grade, and prevention of corruption and completion of inquiries on complaints, sources continued.

As the situation stands, out of the budget of Rs6.92 billion for the current fiscal year, Rs1.428 billion will be spent on non-development expenditure, while Rs778 million will be spent on current development schemes and Rs808 million on new development schemes. In order to reduce the non-development expenditure of the budget, in the first phase, it has been recommended to declare 50 employees as redundant staff and transfer them to other cantonment boards.

On the other hand, after taking notice of corruption, corrupt practice and complaints against 10 officials of the Building Control Cell, inquiries have been started against them.

Meanwhile, 35 daily wagers were sacked over performance.

According to sources, employees posted at clerks including lower division clerks (LDC) and upper division clerks (UDC) who were holding grade 16 posts in various branches would be removed from their posts.

Sources said that some people were occupying ‘lucrative and well rewarding’ positions such as the head of various departments including building control cell, tax, water recovery, licence, sanitation, stores and enforcement due to nepotism and lobbying. They will no longer be allowed to continue in their positions, they added.

RCB Spokesperson Muhammad Riasat said the board was taking key measures to reduce the rising payroll cost by eliminating over-staffing. “We are working to ensure efficiency, merit and good governance,” he added.

The spokesperson said that the appointment of grade-7 and grade-10 officials to key posts of grade 14 or grade 16 will now be abolished. It will help to establish good governance through merit-based appointments, he continued.

The spokesperson added that the reduction of over-staffing would be implemented after the approval from the competent authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2023.