LAHORE – The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has submitted a summary to Chief Minister’s Secretariat for the regularisation of the services of LDA Project Director (IT) Mansoor Butt working on contractual basis in grade BS-18, mocking the regularisation policy for contractual employees, LDA sources told Pakistan Today.
RULES: Sources in LDA said, according to rules, the government could regularise provincial staff from grade 1 to 16 and above. Employees appointed through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) will directly be made permanent, while employees who were appointed without PPSC test or interview required PPSC test and interview for regularisation, they added. Rules further say that only those employees’ services will be regularised who have served for more than two years.
BUTT’S CASE -AN EXCEPTION?: In the case of Butt, who has the additional charge of grade 19 and who enjoyed perks and privileges, sources said, he needed to go through the PPSC test and interview, as he was appointed without the test. Moreover, sources said, he had only served for one and a half year, while more than two years of service were required for regularisation.
OTHER EMPLOYEES’ CASE – NOT AN EXCEPTION: An LDA official said LDA had rejected the regularisation of contractual employees, some months ago, from grade 1 to 15, projecting itself as a champion of merits and rules. However, recently LDA forwarded a summary to the CM’s Secretariat, saying that Butt was appointed on the recommendation of selection committee headed by LDA DG; the post was advertised and appointment was made through open competition, the official said.
Butt is allegedly Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s ‘favourite’, and was appointed on a ‘hefty’ salary of Rs 90,000 for supervising the computerisation of Johar Town Scheme, with effect from August 22, 2009 for three years. Former LDA DG Umer Rasool initiated the move to regularise Butt’s services on the direction of Shahbaz Sharif.
SUMMARY FOR BUTT: The summary said that reform agenda in LDA and its successful implementation required the development of in-house facilities and provision of a pool of talented, competent and dedicated human resource led by a competent team leader like the Butt. The summary said, the post of the Project Director (IT) was a limited time post and the Butt’s contract was going to expire on August 21, 2012.
His departure will create a massive void in LDA, as none among the present hierarchy of computer services directorate possessed the skill and ability to keep LDA’s process of overhauling on track, the summary added. The summary further added that all the projects and software, which were developed and implemented by Butt, were never a part of the role assigned to him as PD (IT).
“In fact, he is working extra hours and is going out of the way to further the process of reformation of LDA. Chief Minister is requested to allow in the appointment of Mansoor Butt form contract mode to regular mode at earliest,” the summary requested.
The summary explained Butt’s achievement and said that he completed the commissioning of the state-of-art computerised one window cell, suit management system for Directorate of Law, redesigning and updating of the new LDA website, establishing of LDA call centre, wireless and wired networking of all LDA officers, task and stock management for C&I Directorate, security feature paper printing system, employee lot allotment management system, payroll system for Directorate of Finance and HR management system for Directorate of Administration.
Sources said that LDA had already made an attempt to grant CM’s ‘blued eyed boy’ a two-year extension from August 22, 2012. However, LDA Chairman Ahad Cheema turned down the summary for extension in the governing body meeting, as unless Butt had not completed his three-year term so far.
