Officer axed over irregularities in hiring of staff

A Director of Human Settlements Authority (HSA), formerly known as Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKAA), has been dismissed from service under charges of irregularities conducted allegedly in hiring staff of BPS-1 to BPS-16 in 2022-23.

As per the office order dated June 14, BPS-19 Director Amanullah Shaikh has been given a major penalty in the form of dismissal from service under rule 4 (1) of Sindh Civil Servants (E & D) Rules, 1973. Reportedly, around 180 employees were appointed by Shaikh.

Shaikh was served explanation notices on May 31, 2023, and, subsequently, on June 7, 2023, in which he was directed to submit the record of appointments. However, he evaded the required submission. In reply to another letter the former Director General SKAA Syed Arshad Abbass informed the department that the recruitment in question was conducted by Shaikh "in violation of the codal formalities".

On June 22, 2023, all the appointments made in the department in BPS-1 to BPS-16 were cancelled owing to the irregularities. Later a committee in its report declared the appointments as 'bogus' and irregular'.

The authority issued a final show cause notice to Shaikh on July 26, 2023 and a reminder for the notice on August 21, 2023. But Shaikh allegedly in his October 5, 2023, reply failed to submit the required record of the hiring while just requesting the authority to withdraw the notice.

The incumbent DG Muhammad Nadeem stated that plenty of time and opportunity for the hearing was given to Shaikh but he did not respond, which led to his dismissal.