- Civic agency avoids recruitment of engineers for past many years
ISLAMABAD: Years of reliance on stop-gap arrangements, ad-hocism, non-technical personnel mounting positions that demand technical background and practice of giving current charge to junior officers has greatly reduced the potential and working of the Engineering Wing of the Capital Development Authority.
Scores of positions of the assistant directors, deputy directors and directors lie vacant, Pakistan Today has learnt. Due to a ban on new inductions in the authority imposed by the government, the Engineering Wing has to work with junior officers with additional charge, resultantly at the posts of the assistant directors that require for a bachelors’ degree in engineering, diploma holders are appointed.
Sources at the Engineering Wing said that due to delays in DPC (departmental promotion committee) where board decides on promoting officers based on their experience, seniority and performance and rampant changes in high-ups during the past many years, undeserving officers are left high and dry.
At present, 45 positions of the assistant directors are vacant while 18 posts of the deputy directors, 22 posts of the directors and four posts of the directors general are either lying vacant or being filled by junior officers on current charge. The Engineering Wing is involved in all the electrical and mechanical works of the city.
The wing is responsible for production, treatment, conduction and distribution of potable water from a different surface as well as groundwater resources to the end-user. The wing also looks after the maintenance of roads, footpaths, drainage systems and landscaping of the commercial areas of the city.
With new CDA Chairman Afzal Latif taking charge with the promise of reforms, it is yet to be seen how he deals with the chronic issue of lack of manpower and bar on new inductions and hiring. While the outgoing chairmen including the mayor had their hands tied, the new chairman has an advantage of having a full three-year term ahead of him and full confidence of the new government.