LAHORE: Frequent changes in the transfer policy of Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) have made it controversial besides causing half a billion rupees loss to the exchequer and impacting the performance of the Distribution Companies (DISCOs), said the PEPCO sources.

They said PEPCO had introduced three transfer policies back in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for the promotion of senior officers in DISCOs. The transfer policy of 2018 had envisaged that the officers on promotion to Superintendent Engineers (SEs), Chief Engineers (CEs), and Genera Managers (GMs) would be posted at their parent company if the vacancy is available otherwise they will be posted from the nearest to the farthest DISCOs on the basis of seniority. But on the availability of a vacant position, the senior-most officer will be posted back in his parent company.

More than 400 officers were posted out of their stations under the 2018 transfer policy while offering them hefty perks. The PEPCO sources said the perks of these officers were raised by 160% over during these three years.

Meanwhile, the transfer policy of 2019 enshrined that all officers on promotion to SEs, CEs, GMs, and other equivalent cadres will be posted out of their parent/ present company. However, those officers having six months or less service in superannuation would remain posted in their parent/present companies upon promotion. The minimum tenure of posting outside the parent/present company was determined as one year.

However, the transfer policy of 2020 was modified to the effect that officers with one year service or less in superannuation will be retained in the parent/present company instead of six months subject to availability of vacant posts and the minimum tenure of posting outside the parent company would be three years instead of one year. Also, the officers promoted and posted out of the parent company would remain there for a period of three years even after the next promotion to the higher grade. The PEPCO sources said the 2019 policy was introduced to discriminate against certain officers and the amendment made in 2020 was aimed at facilitating blue-eyed ones.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021