Setting the house in order: Will CDA act on recommendations?

Civic agency’s chairman says they will wait for IHC’s directions.

ISLAMABAD:

If implemented, the recommendations suggested by a judicial commission after scrutinising a number of mega projects initiated by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in the past, may streamline its affairs. The three-judge commission also investigated the large-scale recruitments on contract and daily wages in CDA without following the competitive process during the PPP’s regime.

The commission in its report already made public by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also expressed surprise over grave violations of CDA’s rules committed by a sub-committee of the Cabinet on regularisation headed by former federal minister Khursheed Shah. Members criticised the regularisation of a number of contractual and daily wage employees on Shah’s directions even though the employees were not entitled due to the length of service. As per rules, an employee working on contract is entitled to regularisation after two years of service in the department.

The report stated that since 2008, around 1,776 regular appointments were made in CDA, 270 people were appointed on contract and 2,701 on daily wages. Some 890 daily wagers were regularised on the committee’s directions. That’s not all, CDA recruited 58 persons on lucrative packages and four persons were appointed as consultants, though there was no need.

According to the report, commission members were “amazed” as all the aforementioned appointments, except regular appointments, were made without advertising the posts or conducting interviews, while approval for salaries was obtained from CDA’s Finance Directorate after the appointments were finalised. The commission also found that almost all the appointments were made on the basis of references though the candidates did not qualify for the slots.

The commission suggested the IHC direct CDA to constitute a committee of senior officers headed by the chairman to scrutinise all appointments and remove persons ineligible for such appointments   and those hired on inflated salaries. The commission also suggested disciplinary action against officials who approved the illegal appointments.

CDA Chairman Tahir Shahbaz said it was premature to comment over the issue as commission had suggested a set of recommendations. “The court of law has yet to decide the case on the basis of the recommendations and findings. However, the Islamabad High Court’s orders will be implemented in letter and spirit.”

A senior CDA official, requesting anonymity said Shah not only managed to regularise daily wagers and contract employees in CDA but all other federal government departments and ministries as well. If the IHC orders the removal of ineligible employees and those who were regularised against the rules, it would set a precedent. “But it’s next to impossible to remove people regularised on the cabinet committee’s directions.” He added in case they were removed they would be restored by the PPP along with all the benefits and privileges when it next comes into power as in the past.

It is to be seen if city managers can take the bold steps necessary to act on the recommendations to clean up their act and improve the civic agency’s financial status. However, if massive recruitments in CDA in violation of rules are to be taken as a test case, the implementation of the commission’s suggestions seems next to impossible.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2013.