The top bureaucracy of Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) has reportedly paralysed Minister for Industries, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi by not implementing his instructions. The Minister recently acknowledged his "helplessness" especially in the hands of incumbent bureaucracy of the Ministry referring to his inability to get even a clerk transferred within the Ministry or its attached department.
In reply to a question, the Minister said he had ordered an inquiry against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tariq Ejaz Chaudhry a couple of months on a complaint of Transparency International(TI) Pakistan but no report has yet been submitted to him by the bureaucracy .
Official documents claim that the appointment of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Engineering Development Board (EDB) Tariq Ejaz Chaudhry was made in violation of advertised criteria and all relevant documents are available with the Ministry.
Secretary Industries and Production has yet to respond to three queries put forth by Business Recorder with regard to the failure of the incumbent CEO, EDB to meet the position's criteria even after the passage of two weeks.
Insiders in the EDB told this newspaper that there was uncertainty in the organisation. Senior officials were trying to go on long leave or transfer to other departments. Telephones of officers and staff are being tapped. A senior officer, who talked about tense working conditions in the EDB, passed away a day earlier.
"We had suggested him to go on long leave to avoid tension but he did not and the result is with us. Another officer went on leave for six months to avoid tense working conditions," said one of his friends.
During a brief meeting, the Minister for Industries and Production looked visibly angry with the top bureaucracy of the Ministry for not extending cooperation in the establishment of NFC - Institute of Engineering and Technology in Naushero Feroz. The issue of land procurement is a bone of contention between the Minister and bureaucracy.
"I am helpless as bureaucracy does not honour my suggestions and instructions. I cannot even get a clerk transferred," he added.