MCI refuses to process personal files of its employees

ISLAMABAD: The Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) has refused to process personal files of employees placed under its administrative control.

According to an office memorandum issued by MCI, the corporation was established after promulgation of ICT Local Government Act (ICT-LGA)-2015 dated June 15, 2016. Consequently, 23 formations of Capital Development Authority (CDA) were placed under the administrative control of MCI along with all rights, assets and liabilities by virtue of ICT-LGA-2015 by Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) dated June 22, 2017.

However, the transfer of employees was challenged in Islamabad High Court (IHC) by CDA employees and in light of the court orders, the CDA employees are still a part of CDA.

According to MCI official memorandum, the personal files of the employees might be processed as per CDA rules and regulations through their concerned formations/authorised officers as before devolution of the CDA regulations, through their concerned formations/authorised officer as before devolution of the CDA formations.

The MCI chief officer shall process only those files which are related to the running of various functions of the corporation.

The interior ministry on January 6, 2017, had notified that several departments of the CDA and the Islamabad administration would be administered by elected representatives of the MCI. The departments transferred from CDA include directorates in administration wing, engineering wing, environment wing and finance wing.

Additionally, the subjects of local government and rural development department, including the three rural development markaz, one rural area coordination committee, civil defence department, public health department and prevention and control of communicable diseases department in Islamabad administration were transferred to MCI.

However, the CDA collective bargaining agent (CBA) had rejected the notification, terming the transfers as illegal and constituting contempt of court. “The interior ministry notification of January 6, 2017, regarding the division of all rights, assets and liabilities of different CDA directorates is an attempt to destroy the future of 11,000 employees working in 35 directorates of CDA,” it said.

Certain petitions of CDA workers, regarding the distribution of assets and liabilities and transfer of employees from CDA to MCI, had been pending in the court and the court had directed CDA and MCI management to hold a dialogue with the employees’ union and resolve the matter amicably in consultation with the employees.

The court had further ordered that no employee of CDA would be transferred forcefully without their consent until a final judgment from the court. However, the matter could not be settled even after a lapse of more than two years, since the inception of local government system in the federal capital.