Perks eternal

No officer transferred out of the Punjab government is permitted to retain either staff or official vehicles.

The higher up the bureaucratic tree one climbs in Pakistan, the more the branches are laden with perks and privileges. Holding on to those perks and privileges becomes a priority for many, no matter that it is against a plenitude of rules and regulations. Thus it is that we find a BS-20 Administrative Service Officer holding on to a number of resources despite being transferred. He was serving as the secretary to the Punjab provincial ombudsman but was transferred to the federal government in September 2013. Flouting regulations, he took with him to his new post — which will also have its own perks hanging heavy on the boughs — five officials, three staff cars and a motorcycle all for his personal use. The regulations are clear. No officer transferred out of the Punjab government is permitted to retain either staff or the official vehicles attached to the post, a detail that does not concern this official, apparently.

The rules require that departing officers hand over all vehicles in their use. This bureaucrat was entitled to one staff car and a driver in his post as secretary, but he deemed this insufficient to his needs, so he had three official cars and a motorcycle, plus three drivers. Not only has he taken his perks with him, he still draws his POL allowance and all this presumably on top of whatever perks come his way in his new posting. An official of the Ombudsman’s office when contacted said that staff cars were no longer provided, which begs the question as to why this particular official had three in the first place. It is reported that “some” of the cars have been returned but there is no confirmation of this. It may be assumed that this bureaucrat is not alone in his determination to illegally hold on to the (inflated) privileges of his office, but his case is so blatantly an abuse of privilege that it requires immediate action, which should indeed be taken.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2014.

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