Despite the authorities objection to the illegal promotions of officials working in Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) under the National Education Foundation (NEF), they are still enjoying perks and privileges.
These officials were promoted in May last year after forcing the former NEF managing director Kamran Zafar out of his office.
The dozen-odd officers, with the blessings of then project director Brigadier (retd) Sirajuddin, were promoted to the next grade, while an assistant director was given double promotion.
The concerned authorities, including the Planning Commission, the NEF Board of Directors and the Auditor General of Pakistan, had strongly opposed the ‘illegal’ promotions on the grounds that BECS is a project and any employee working with a project cannot be given promotion without revising the employment contract.
Despite the objections, the promotions of over a dozen officers have not been cancelled. Sources said that some senior officers from the technical education and vocational training ministry are behind the illegal promotions.
The sources added that even though the courts have been approached to address the issue, the ministry has not pursued the case in an effective manner in a bid to buy out time for these officers.
Then Federal Audit DG Gulzar Husnain had visited the NEF head offices last year and pointed out the irregularities. He made it clear that there was no rule allowing for any official working for a project to be given promotion.
On the audit observations, former NEF chief had also issued orders to cancel the promotions, but none of them were reverted back so far. He admitted that there has been a blatant mistake in the promotions of the officers and issued orders to take back the decision. Despite the order, no one has been demoted to their original position.
In separate letters issued on June 14, 2011, the NEF chief had stated, “Contract employees of the BECS project were illegally promoted…as pointed out by the Federal Audit DG,” and that they stand “demoted to their original rank with immediate effect”.
The officials who were illegally promoted include Sadia Atta Ghuman and Abdul Hanan, who were promoted as deputy directors from assistant directors. Similarly, Muhammad Noor and Fariduddin were promoted to assistant directors, Asif Majeed and Wali Muhammad to assistant field officers, and a host of other lower grade officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2012.
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