Stretching it: One man, multiple posts in agriculture department

Muhammad Tahir presently heads four divisions in violation of rules.

PESHAWAR: A senior official in the agriculture department is holding multiple posts for the past three years, in violation of set rules and regulations.

A source in the department said Muhammad Tahir was working as a director on basic pay scale (BPS)-18 of the Sugar Crops Research Institute (SCRI), Mardan while also holding additional charge of Agriculture Research Station Harichand, Charsadda in the same capacity. “He does not even have the full authority of a director. Even then, he was given additional charge in violation of rules,” said the insider.



Another official in the department said the Mardan project will wind up on June 30, adding the department requested senior officials in Peshawar and Karak to take up the Charsadda post but they refused without citing any solid reasons. “If an official’s track record is not up to the mark, how can he be tasked with an additional senior-level position,” he questioned, referring to Tahir’s multiple duties.

The official maintained the additional responsibility pinned on Tahir is of a BPS-19 post, claiming many senior level positions in the department are lying vacant or handed to junior officials.

Yet another official in the department said a number of complaints have surfaced over the positions Tahir is holding, but the government had not taken any action so far. “Even the anti-corruption authorities have adopted silence over the mismanagement,” he said, adding that Tahir was, in fact, holding four, not two, posts simultaneously.

The official said Tahir is in charge of the Mardan institute, head of Charsadda interchange farm centre, Jabban station chief and Harichand research centre director. “He (Tahir) has no appointment letter and is often absent from office,” he alleged.

Muhammad Tahir told The Express Tribune he was looking after four positions simultaneously on the orders of the department’s high-ups with no extra salary or incentives for the extra work. “I am facing immense difficulties in rendering my responsibilities. It becomes difficult for any person to work on more than one position at a time.”

Tahir said he took the issue up with his seniors a number of times, but to no avail. “I was told on different occasions that I would be relieved of the additional posts but these proved to be mere assurances.”

He, however, categorically rejected the allegation that he had no appointment letter. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2014.