The Information Officers (IOs) of the NWFP have unanimously demanded of the government to take notice of the worst working condition and without going into minute details, immediately allow grade 18 to those who are working in BPS-17 for the last over 12 years and are otherwise fit for BPS-19. In an emergency meeting, they unanimously invited the attention of the government particularly Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani to the fact that their colleagues in other departments having come through the same public service commission on the same day are now working in BPS-19 and are on the verge of promotion to BPS-20, but they despite working round the clock are deprived of weekends and other national holidays and still languishing in the pay scale in which they are appointed.
They also pointed out that due to the worst kind of working conditions, there were no chances of their promotion. Majorities of them are mental cases, die during service and goes on superannuation if ever they survive, heart patients. The situation has reached a point that there is only one BPS-18 officer of their group in the whole directorate of information.
On the other hand, those having left the information department and joined other departments in BPS-6 and BPS-7 are now in BPS-19 and above. They particularly pointed out that they cover the whole working of the assembly and its committees but the PRO to NWFP Speaker is availing BPS-19 working on the same terms and conditions as PRO of information department but this department is denied the same perks and privileges.
They said that due to burden of work often their domestic lives are under stress and the children of these officers due to lack of concentration suffer. They also pointed out that a section officer of the secretariat group equally attend official meetings but the section officers supported by stenos and other subordinate staff issue minutes of the meetings after months but the information officers issue the press release prior to taking meal, water or even offering prayers. A steno-typist can go up to BPS-20 but the information officer has to languish in the pay scale in which they are appointed.
They appealed to the chief minister in particular that when millions of rupees are spent every month on advertisements why they should not promote the 23 senior officers who have worked for over 12 years. They said that such promotions would cost just monthly Rs 27,000. It is worth mentioning that due to annual increase of their salaries, these officers are at a stage of pay scale where if promoted to BPS-18, it would cost the provincial government just Rs 27,000.-PR
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