|
SC decision: Fate of contractual employees hangs in balance
February 11, 2011
37 contractual officials including 23 re-employed senior officers of Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) draw Rs56.658 million in term of their annual salaries. In addition, the Bank is spending Rs28.40 million in term of cars provided to these officers under Car Loan Depreciation Policy (CLDP). According to the documents available, twenty two re-employed senior officials of ZTBL include two retired brigadiers, five retired Lieutenant Colonels (Lt. Col), four retired Majors, two retired Deputy Inspector Generals, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, a retired district and session judge, a retired cane commissioner, an ex-advocate general Punjab, and six retired bankers. The contractual officials also include a son of Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal, a nephew of ZTBL President Zaka Asharaf, and brother of additional IG CID Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera.
|
The Supreme Court of Pakistan, while hearing Hajj Corruption suo motu case, observed that the contractual appointments in Police were counterproductive and consequently advised to review contractual appointments in rest of the ministries. It sounds good that now government organizations would not employ their staff on ad hoc basis, rather they would fill only the vacant and regular posts. But at the same time, those who are deriving hundred of thousands of rupees on lucrative contractual posts look nervous.
Currently, different public sector organizations have hired the blessed ones on higher salaries. Those organizations who appoint individuals on hefty packages in fact discourage regular or old employees who are rendering their services for decades, and just when they are looking to be promoted, they find a contractual official on their post.
If we look at the case of Zarai Taraqiati Bank only and the contractual appointments which were made in the Bank in last two years, we find that more than three dozen high-profile contractual appointment were made in that single organization.
As many as 37 contractual officials including 23 re-employed senior officers of Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) draw Rs56.658 million in term of their annual salaries. In addition, the Bank is spending Rs28.40 million in term of cars provided to these officers under Car Loan Depreciation Policy (CLDP).
According to the documents available, twenty two re-employed senior officials of ZTBL include two retired brigadiers, five retired Lieutenant Colonels (Lt. Col), four retired Majors, two retired Deputy Inspector Generals, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, a retired district and session judge, a retired cane commissioner, an ex-advocate general Punjab, and six retired bankers.
The contractual officials also include a son of Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal, a nephew of ZTBL President Zaka Asharaf, and brother of additional IG CID Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera.
The bank pays Rs350,000 per month to ex-banker Roohi R. Khan who is working as chief operating officer; Rs.250,000 per month to Brig (retd) Anjum Saeed Akhtar, President Kissan Support Services Limited; Rs.200,000 to Brig (retd) Sajid Hameed, PSO to president ZTBL; Rs150,000 to Lt-Col (retd) Maqsood Cheema, Senior Vice President; Rs.150,000 to Lt-Col (retd) K. B. Aleem, Senior Vice President; Rs.100,000 to Lt-Col (retd) Ghulam Idrees, Vice-President; Rs100,000 to Lt-Col (retd) Muhammad Iftikhar, Vice President; Rs150,000 to Lt-Col (retd) Shahid Rafique, GM; Rs.100,000 to Major (retd.) Mian Ejaz, Vice President; Rs100,000 to Major (retd) Tasawar Gujjar, Vice President; Rs100,000 to Major (retd) Muhammad Masood, Vice President; Rs150,000 to ex-army officer Anwar Hussain Alvi; Rs200,000 to former DIG Tahir Anwar Pasha, Executive Vice President; Rs200,000 to former DIG Ghulam Haider Marth, Executive Vice President; Rs150,000 to ex-advocate general Punjab Rana Naeem Sarwar; Rs150,000 to former district and sessions judge Riaz Ahmed Chaudhry; Rs200,000 to ex-banker Anees Iqbal; Rs200,000 to ex-banker Waheed Raza; Rs200,000 to ex-banker Ashfaq Hussain Qureshi; Rs150,000 to former Cane commissioner Abdul Ghafoor Bhatti; Rs150,000 to ex-banker Sanullah Hanif; Rs150,000 to ex-banker Aurangzeb Mohsin; Rs150,000 to ex-banker Rana Naveed; and Rs100,000 each to Iqtadar Haider, Imran Ehsan, Huma Kokab, Turab Ahmed, Rahat Zafar, Furrukh M. Gondal, Maqbool Sukhera, and Asad Ali Chaudhry.
These high-profile contractual appointments fall in the category of recent Supreme Court judgment on Hajj Corruption case in which the apex court declared the contractual employment of retired officers as illegal.
Following the Supreme Court’s directions, Establishment Division has issued a circular mentioning that the prime minister has formed a special committee that will receive details and data of the contractual employees, and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani will take decision about these officials in the light of this report. The committee comprises Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, and Establishment Division and Information Technology Secretary Abdul Rauf Chaudhry.
The government will also submit a report to the SC on the action taken in this regard.
The Establishment Division has also written letters to all federal ministries, secretaries and chief secretaries of four provinces, directing them to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court’s order in this connection and send details about contractual employees.
Federal secretaries and provincial chief secretaries had subsequently issued circulars to their subordinate ministries/divisions, seeking data and lists of employees who were appointed on contract or reemployed after retirement in different offices. The Special Committee also sought detail about the terms and conditions of contract employees including their salary structure, allowances, official vehicles etc.
The said committee will receive details about the contract employees from ministries/divisions and provinces today, and will present these details and data till February 9 to the prime minister. The prime minister will send a report and detailed information to the Supreme Court about the measures taken to act upon the court order.
It appears that from now onward the door of re-employment is being closed. Although it would be painful for those who remained sixty years in service and suddenly have to live at home as an idle but it also give more opportunities to those who desire to initiate their careers and for those who are in queue for getting better positions within their respective organizations.
|