ISLAMABAD: The Establishment Division has amended Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020, meant to oust incompetent officers in bureaucracy, after getting the Prime Minister’s nod for alteration in Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020.

Salim Khattak Deputy Secretary, (CP-IV), Establishment Division, in an Office Memorandum (OM) has requested all the Ministries/Divisions to share the decision with all attached Departments/Subordinates Offices, under their administrative control, for compliance/further necessary action.

According to SRO 89(1)2022 in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section(1) of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973 (LXXI of 1973), read with notification No, S.R.O.120(1)98 of February 27, 1998, the Prime Minister has directed that the following further amendments shall be made in the Civil Servants (Directory) Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020, namely: in the aforesaid Rules, in rule 6, in sub-rule(6), in the proviso ,- (a) after the words “where”, the words “the President or “shall be inserted” and (b) for the words “a BS-22 officer for granting,” the words “BS-22 officer(s) to issue show cause notice also designate, BS-22 officer(s) to grant” shall be substituted.

At a recent meeting of federal cabinet, while giving a briefing on the progress made by the Ministries/Divisions on implementation of Directory Retirement Rules, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Establishment, Shahzad Arbab apprised that 83 officers in BS-17 to BS-21 had been recommended for retirement.

However, 10 ministries/divisions, which included Aviation, Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC), Human Rights, National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Petroleum, Privatisation, etc, had not been present in the meetings.

The Prime Minister lamented that when an opportunity was created to get rid of deadwood through implementing Directory Retirements Rules, almost two years had passed without any tangible progress. This may imply that the Ministers and Secretaries concerned were satisfied with the quality of HR at the disposal.

When enquired about the status of 83 officers who had been recommended for retirement, the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Azam Khan apprised that due process had been initiated by issuing show cause notices and nomination of Hearing Officer.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022