Fresh inductions: New civil service rules trigger debate among officers

While most service groups have welcomed the reforms, the Secretariat Group has voiced several reservations.

ISLAMABAD:

The recently announced reforms in civil service appointment process have triggered heated debate among officers from different service groups.

The government, through a recently issued statutory regulatory order (SRO) titled the Civil Service of Pakistan (Composition and Cadre) Rules 2014, once again empowered the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) to make appointments in civil service, stripping the president of this power.

Following the appearance of this story in The Express Tribune on Friday (February 21), civil service officers from most occupational groups have seen the reforms as a silver lining for their careers.

But officers from the Secretariat Group (SG), while appreciating the proposed induction of PCS officers under the new rules, voiced concern over some aspects of the SRO.

SG officers said the recently issued SRO is beyond the scope of the Constitution and Civil Servants Act (CSA) 1973. They also voiced concern that section 10 of the CSA would still allow the state to bypass FPSC to make inductions.

Sources, however, denied that the new rules were in any way beyond the scope of the Constitution or CSA. They said that the SRO was introduced with the intention to block the use of executive authority in the induction process and place this authority squarely with FPSC. They added that section 10 of the CSA governs deputations and not inductions.

Another concern over the new rules raised by SG officers is that the formula for the distribution of posts of deputy secretaries and those above it is contrary to the desires of the prime minister. Sources, however, stressed that any amendment in such rules could not be done so without the premier’s approval.

SG officers from provincial services also feared they would be offered only four to five seats annually under the rate specified by the SRO.

According to sources, however, the 30% rate specified under the new rules means at least 30 seats would be offered to provincial services. They said the provinces were consulted before the SRO was issued and added that the province would also be taken on board before the government issues a schedule to determine cadre strength under the new rules.

When asked about officers’ concerns about the stay order on grade 19 and 20 inductions in SG, sources said the SRO dealt with inductions in the Federal Secretariat and not SG. As such, they said the stay order did not affect the SRO.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2014.