ISLAMABAD – The Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Company Limited (SNGPL), for the last 45 years, has flagrantly violated recruitment rules, laid down in the official policy.
This was disclosed, on Saturday, in a meeting of the Special Committee of Senate, which was convened to consider recruitments, appointments and inductions in SNGPL between 2007 and January, 2011. SNGPL MD Rashid Lone stunned everybody in the meeting after he unveiled that the quota system has never been observed in recruitments and appointments despite the fact that SNGPL is a government controlled company.
The statement of SNGPL MD exasperated Committee Chairman Syed Nayyed Hussain Bukhari, who lambasted the management for not following the government’s policy over recruitments. “If SNGPL is a government-owned entity, then recruitment rules on quota basis should have been followed,” he stated. He was displeased at the way SNGPL responded to details regarding appointments on the province-wise quota.
Methodology for appointments in SNGPL was not known to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources as the additional secretary of the ministry also expressed surprise over violation committed by SNGPL. He said that this flagrant violation has only been seen in SNGPL, as other attached departments of the ministry are following the prescribed quota for recruitments and appointments.
“It’s the declared policy of the government that recruitments would be made as per the quota in all federal departments and organisations”, he categorically held. The SNGPL MD revealed that board of the company had, thrice, rejected the formula of appointments on quota basis when the matter was brought up, following a directive by the federal government in December last year.
The SNGPL’s board is dominated by government directors with nine from government or its organisation, whereas four are from the private sector. Nayyer Bukhari said that it is inexplicable that directors, nominated by the government, are not subscribing to government policy. He rejected SNGPL’s stance that its board has the authority to take decisions on such matters.
He directed SNGPL and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to submit a detailed report regarding recruitments in the company from 200 7 onwards, in addition to the breakup of the province-wise appointments. He warned that stern action would be taken against the management, if it came up with a vague and half-hearted reply.
