ISLAMABAD: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is fast losing its utility owing to gross mismanagement and corruption as well as non-qualified officials occupying key posts and transfer of capable persons to irrelevant sections on the basis of nepotism.
The other worrisome aspect is the non-seriousness on the part of government as well as those at the helm of affairs in the EPA to stop the prevailing mismanagement and favouritism. An official in the EPA on the condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that no one among the top ranks of the agency, including its Director General (DG) Asif Shujah, bothered vis-a-vis any improvement in its functioning.
“These authorities only follow the directives from the higher officials in the environment ministry without caring for right or wrong and this approach has led to gross mismanagement in the important organisation,” he said. According to the official, it’s only discriminatory attitude and nepotism that holds sway in the EPA and every posting and transfer is made purely on that basis.
He said, contrary to the rules and regulations, transfer of totally irrelevant people was made to the irrelevant offices. One such example of that was the Environmental Impact Monitoring Directorate, a very important office but currently headed by Asadullah Faiz who doesn’t have any relevant qualification or experience, he revealed.
He added another example of nepotism was that of EPA Deputy Director Mir Sajjad Hussain Talpur who was serving in the Environmental Impact Monitoring Directorate but went on deputation to TEVTA, a training institute, in his hometown, Khairpur, with more perks and privileges.
He kept on saying that in order to fill the vacant post of Talpur one Ahsan Rafi Kayani had been transferred to that technical post from the administrative wing of PEPA. “Kayani was doing purely an administrative job and has no technical qualification or experience,” said the official and hence another example of overlooking the rules and regulations on the part of the EPA authorities.
An official in the Environment Ministry, when approached, confirmed the prevailing mismanagement and corruption in the EPA. He said a former director of Environmental Impact Monitoring Directorate, Ziaul Islam, was transferred to the Environment Ministry one year ago again ignoring the rules and regulations as he joined the EPA on contractual basis but was given permanent job.
“One needs to clear the test and examination of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) to get a permanent government job,” the official said.
