Whereas the additional chief secretary (ACS) development has instructed the deputationists to join their parent departments, the officials working on deputation in different departments seem reluctant to follow the orders instead they are using political affiliation to stick to the lucrative posts, it is learnt.
More than 20 officials of the planning and development department of the Sindh government were working on lucrative posts with heavy perks and privileges in various departments on deputation. However, these deputationists seemed most powerful as they did not even bother to comply with the apex court’s orders, well-placed sources told Pakistan Today.
Interestingly, these deputationists have also thrown away the written orders of the ACS (Development) Malik Israr, who recently forwarded a letter to all those working on deputation to join their parent departments. However, the officials were now using political influence to stick to their lucrative posts, sources said.
The officials working on deputation basis in various departments include Abdul Nabi Thahim, Iqbal Lakho, Sara and Javed Memon in the Sindh Revenue Board with lucrative posts, Ayaz Memon, presently working as chief in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Razia Shaikh, as assistant chief in district Matiyari, Liaqat Qureshi as assistant chief in district Matiyari, Naveed Saleh Memon as assistant chief in district Matiyari, Ghulam Mohammad Shaikh as assistant chief in district Khairpur, Saleem Lakhmir as chief in the Monitoring and Evaluation Cell (MEC) of the Planning and Development Department, Ghulam Qadir Shaikh as assistant chief DERA, Malik Akbar, working as planning officer in Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Program, Farman Chandio, as Planning Officer Community Development Project, Yasir Shah as Planning Officer in district Matiyari, Aisha Mastoi as Planning Officer in district Tando Allahyar. After repeated complaints by the senior officials of the P&D department, the ACS (Dev) ordered all the deputationists of his department to return to their parent departments however the officials refused to leave the lucrative posts.
At this the ACS has forwarded another letter to Chief Secretary requesting him to take notice of the situation and ensure returning of the officials, working on deputation, to their parent departments.
Sindh Revenue Board still in hands of influential deputationists
Although, the apex court had given its verdict against the deputation culture in the government departments, the province’s only tax collection agency – Sindh Revenue Board – is yet surrounded by officials on the deputation that is tantamount to the court’s decision, Pakistan Today has learnt. After the consensuses were made on the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, the Sindh was the only province that pleaded its case to collect the general sales tax (GST) on services. And, the Sindh started to collect GST on services from July 2011 with the establishment of Sindh Revenue Board’s office at Shaheen Complex. After appointment of a retired bureaucrat, Nazar Hussain Mahar, the officials having close links with the chairman were appointed in the tax body on deputation basis with heavy perks and privileges and other facilities. These officials are powerful as they did not want appointment of finance department’s officials in the body instead they were running the affairs of SRB with the full support of Chairman Nazar Mahar, who was recently removed from the chairmanship news reports published in the newspaper particularly in the Pakistan Today. After assuming charge at the SRB, Mahar got many officials of his choice appointed at the revenue board with hefty salaries, perks and extra privileges. More than 10 officials, considered favourites of the chairman Mahar, are enjoying lucrative posts in the tax collecting body on deputation basis. The officials include Iqbal Lakho, Sardar Abdul Nabi Thahim, Sara and Javed Memon among others. Lakho, initially an officer at the Sindh Planning and Development (P&D) Department, was inducted in the SRB on deputation, where he was given the charge as Deputy Commissioner, SRB Headquarters. The sources said that Lakho was dealing with all major issues between the board and the taxpayers on behalf of the chairman. “Lakho has always been blessed by Mahar even when he was the Additional Chief Secretary at P&D department and was also appointed as Mahar’s Personal Staff Officer, besides being given the charge of many multi-million rupees projects,” they added. Thahim, working as Commissioner Sales Tax (Survey and Intelligence), besides having the additional charge as project director of Strengthening of SRB, with a budget of more than Rs 600 million. Sara, an officer at the Sindh Excise and Taxation (E&T) Department, is also enjoying a lucrative post at the SRB while Memon, a retired E&T officer, is working at the board as the Sales Tax consultant with an attractive salary package.