Frequent transfer of secretaries leaves education department in a quandary

The division saw four secretaries in just one year.

ISLAMABAD:

The quick succession of secretaries at the Capital Administration and Development Division (CAD) has affected the work flow of many departments under it, particularly the education department. 

CAD Secretary Shaigan Sharif Malik, who was appointed on June 19, retires on September 2. This duration of less than three months for a secretary is not unusual.

Earlier, when Ashraf Rauf left the office on July 27, 2012, Riffat Shaheen Qazi took over on October 25, 2012, but she too left the office in March, just after five months. After Qazi left the office, CAD remained without a secretary for two months until Shafqat Hussain Naghmi was appointed as the new secretary. But Naghmi was replaced by Malik after June.

“Of course, this quick rotation has badly affected the efficiency of the education department. No sooner do I give a presentation to a secretary, he leaves office,” said CAD Joint Secretary Rafique Tahir.

Qazi faced the worst-ever agitation by contractual employees of educational institutions, who demanded regularisation and raise in salaries, while the day Naghmi took charge as CAD secretary, he challenged his posting in court, demanding repatriation to the ministry of industries.

Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Development Director Nadeem Ashraf said that due to the successive exits of top officials no development work could be carried out in schools and colleges of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) during the last five years. “There are several schools which badly need repair and maintenance work but a lack of funds has made that impossible,” he said.

Interestingly, not a single penny has been allocated for educational institutions of the ICT under the Public Sector Development
Sector (PSDP) in the current budget.

A CAD official said they were supposed to submit 17 development projects under the PSDP but the files could not be completed on time and when they reached the Finance Division, it refused to include them in the budget papers.

Similarly, over 3,000 employees working under the FDE are awaiting regularisation but the case is pending with the Islamabad High Court, which has sought a complete record from CAD, following the news that many dubious names had been included in the regularisation list.

Many school and college teachers have also complained of lack of coordination between CAD and the FDE.

“This is not the first day I’m here to meet a director to discuss the requirements of the staff at my college, but to my utter dismay, nobody is willing to take responsibility. This not only undermines my performance at the college but also shakes the confidence of parents in government institutions,” complained a college principal, while leaving the FDE building, after failing to meet the official.

Earlier, CAD was a separate ministry but the current government brought it under the control of the Cabinet Division.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2013.