Punjab Higher Education Department junior officers
Posting of juniors in Higher Edu Dept raises eyebrows
Lahore, Aug 31: Posting of junior officers against key
posts at the Punjab Higher Education Department has become a heated
debate among the bureaucratic circles as well as the teaching
fraternity which term the process sheer favourtism. Ahad Khan
Cheema, a BPS-18 officer of the DMG Group, has been working as
secretary Higher Education Department, a post meant for BPS-20 or
BPS-21 officer. Similarly, Hamayun Maqbool Bhatti, a BPS-18 officer of
Customs Group, has been working as Additional Secretary
(Establishment), a post meant for BPS-19 officers. Quite
contrary to this, a BPS-21 officer, Nadeem Ashraf, has been serving as
secretary School Department, Punjab, while former Secretary Higher
Education Azhar Hussain Shamim was also a BPS-21 officer. The
stakeholders argue that favourtism extended to blue-eyed officers had
been creating a strong sense of disappointment and neglect among other
officers. They also believe that the engaging officers in more than one
department was also a matter of great concern as it not only affected
working of their respective departments but also disappointed other
awaiting postings over the months. It is important to mention
here that Mr Cheema, who is presently having additional charge of the
secretary Higher Education, is also Additional Secretary (Welfare) of
Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD). It is also
learnt that he is already looking after the workload of more than two
offices. The bureaucratic circles believe that posting of both
the abovementioned officers had raised many eyebrows as one of them was
believed to be favourite of the Punjab chief secretary while the other
has connections in power corridors as his brother is an MPA. It
is pertinent to mention here that PCS officers have already been crying
foul over the seat-sharing between DMG and PCS officers as presently
more DMG officers are posted in Punjab. Referring to a recent
transfer of PCS officer Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir, a PCS officer, on
condition of anonymity, said the said officer was transferred from the
post of DO (R) Gujrat on the plea that he was in BPS-17 and was working
against a BPS-18 post. "Is this justified when compared with
postings in the education department where a BPS-18 officer is having
charge of BPS-20 post while the other of BPS-19 post," he questioned. "This is what has been causing anxiety among the PCS officers," he said. Punjab
Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) President Nazim Hasnain
said pendency rate was increasing in the department as the junior
officers lacked vision. He said college teachers had been struggling
for their promotions over the years while the department officers were
making the issues more complex instead of providing them relief. "You
are talking about officers having additional charge but what about our
Minister for Education who is also having additional charge of this
important ministry," said an officer of the department. Asking
not to be named, he further said the government was still experimenting
in the education sector as if it had a dearth of suitable and capable
persons.
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Punjab Educational institutions reopen today
Lahore: The educational institutions of the province will reopen after summer
vacation on Monday (today). Earlier, the summer vacation had to end on
August 15 but the Punjab government had extended it till August 31 due
to hot weather.
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HEC chairman greeted
Lahore: Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr
Mujahid Kamran has congratulated former Senator Dr Javaid R Leghari on his
appointment as chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
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Test for attorneys on Sept 7
Lahore: The Punjab Public Service
Commission (PPSC) has announced that the written test for the posts of Assistant
District Attorneys will be held on September 7, 2009 (Monday). The test will
start at 9:00am at examination centre of the Board of Intermediate &
Secondary Education (BISE) situated at 49-A Lawrence Road.
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O Level examination distinction
Mahrukh of the Lahore Grammar School, Shah Jamal branch, passed the O Level examination with 6 A's and 2'Bs. The news
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