KARACHI: Whereas the Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (STEVTA) is working smoothly, the deputed employees, who were removed from lucrative posts, have planned to approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the Sindh government.
Interestingly, these deputed employees are using the platform of authority’s employees’ union, Sindh Technical Education Employees Union, against Sindh’s top bureaucracy including administrative secretary and the managing director.
The sources confided to Pakistan Today that the office bearers of the union demanded donations of Rs 25,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000 from at least 190 different technical institutions which fall under the ambit of the STEVTA.
“These deputed employees have become an earthworm for the authority and they are enjoying all the facilities like allotment of heavy vehicles, fuel cards, maintenance expenditure by blackmailing the authority’s high ups threatening that they would launch province-wide strike against the authority’s management if they (those deputed) are not accommodated as per their wishes”, sources alleged.
In the past, authority’s important posts that included Director Administration, Director Operations, Director Services etc were occupied by the deputed employees who have been removed following the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the sources added.
According to the sources, those deputed never allowed its former managing directors including S M Kalim Makki, Rafique Ahmed Buriro and Faisal Uqaili to work freely for the betterment of hundreds of technical institutions of the province that are producing skilled labour for the job market.
STEVTA, which is mandated to streamline, upgrade and manage technical education and vocational training in the province in line with national and international job market requirements, has remained within the control of the deputed employees since long that hampered authority’s performance badly.
However, after detailed discussion with the stakeholders, the Sindh government has appointed a senior officer, Muzaffar Ali Bhutto, from the administrative/operation branch of the authority as its managing director few months ago that resulted in extra ordinary performance of the authority in the province, the sources disclosed.
As the deputed employees governed the authority for a couple of years, a number of senior officials including Muzaffar Bhutto remained sidelined and their promotions were withheld for many years. However, all these officials knocked at the doors of the Sindh Services Tribunal that provided them justice.
According to sources, the mafia run by deputed employees with the help of some employees’ union has started agitating against the government’s decision to abstain teaching cadre employees to grab the top slots and enjoy perks and privileges.
