Officials of the Sindh Education Ministry, having complete backing of Sindh’s Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazharul Haq, are disobeying the orders of the Sindh chief secretary and education secretary, and are continuing with their jobs despite suspension from their services, Pakistan Today has learnt.
After several complaints of mismanagement, particularly in appointing more than 160 officials in various city colleges by Regional Director (Colleges) Karachi region Prof Rani Ghani Shaikh with the support of Deputy Director (HR) Syed Ali Abbas Tipu, inquiries have been initiated against the said officials, however, they are not ready to leave their posts.
The regional director and deputy director (HR) without going through the recruitment policy prepared a merit list on September 27, 2011, five days after the advertisement.
While hundreds of applications were received for the said posts, not a single candidate was selected from outside their own merit list.
Interestingly in many cases, the seats were auctioned off at Rs 400,000 to Rs 500,000.
Interestingly, the Sindh Accountant General has clearly refused to release the salaries for officials appointed by the Pir Mazhar-backed Regional Director Colleges Prof Rani Ghani Shaikh and Deputy Director (HR) Colleges Syed Ali Abbas Tipu.
The regional directorate had run an advertisement on September 5, 2011 for the appointment of non-teaching staff in city’s colleges. The posts were for computer operators (BPS-12), junior clerks (BPS-7), lab assistant (BPS-7), naib qasid (BPS-1), lab attendant (BPS-2/3), watchman and sweapers (BPs-1).
After the appointments were made, the Sindh accountant general through a letter No Edu-II/1680 sought from the directorate of colleges, the cutting of the leading newspaper under which the post had been advertised, necessary permission of competent authority for appointment to various posts, copy of the approval list which was dully signed by the chairman, members of the DPC, details of vacant posts against which the relevant appointments were made and the dispatch numbers of all previous lists.
As the AG Sindh office showed reluctance to release the salaries, the Regional Director Colleges forwarded a letter No RD(C)K/Admn-IIM/P.F/813/2012 dated May 28, 2012 requesting the accounts officials for the release of monthly salary.
Interestingly, the chief secretary forwarded a letter No SOIII(S&GAD)3-36/2012 to regional director (Colleges) with the clear orders of her removal, however, to no avail.
“In exercise of powers conferred under section 4 of the Removal from Services (Special Powers), Sindh Ordinance 2000, the services of Professor Rani Ghani Shaikh (BS-20) Regional Director COlleges Karachi are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect. The headquarters of Prof Rani Ghani Shaikh during the period of suspension shall be at Education and Literacy Department”, according to a letter exclusively available with Pakistan Today.
