LAHORE – The Services and General administration Department (S&GAD) upheld the departmental exam “mandatory” for section officers from the promotion quota for promotion to basic pay scale (BS)-18 on Thursday. The section officers from the promotion quota had been demanding exemption from the departmental exam on different pretexts.
They maintained that the section officers (SOs) from the promotion quota were considered permanent after the expiry of two years of promotion and hence they should be exempted from the mandatory exam. The promotion board which met last month decided that the exam should be mandatory for the promotion. However, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat directed the S&GAD to “reconsider” the decision. The S&GAD in the latest development upheld its earlier decision and declared the exam compulsory for promotion to BS-18.
Services Secretary Sikander Sultan Raja said the decision had been taken as per rules adding that the officers could only be exempted from the exam after making amendments to the rules. He said the two year probation rule also included a provision that made it mandatory for the SOs from the promotion quota to take the departmental exam.
S&GAD upholds BS-18 promotional exam as mandatory
