ISLAMABAD: The Establishment Division has admitted to failure of its Accountability system for civil servants under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules, and explained the process of disciplinary proceedings against government officials for non-adherence to rules is slow. In its year book for 2017-18, published recently, the Establishment Division (ED) said the E&D Rules and relevant instructions are not followed by the Inquiry Officers and Authorized Officers (IO/AO) but also there is no legal provision available to proceed against such IOs and AOs. “In a majority of cases, the AO and IO take long time in completing the process. In many cases, AOs and IOs do not follow the due process as indicated to them through the checklist. Thus, at time, the reports are sent back to AO to remove and rectify the deficiencies,” the report said. There are also cases, it says when de-novo proceedings have to be conducted to remove the infirmities and lacunae in such cases or when the authority does not agree with the recommendations of the AO. Occasionally, it is said, disciplinary proceedings stand abated against accused officers, on their superannuation, because of this inordinate delay.Another very important and weak link in the process, the year book says, is that there is no clause or rule which outlines any action against the AO or IO, in case, it is observed that they are delaying the inquiry or, in case, it is observed that they have not diligently carried out the process. The year book mentions revision of the E & D Rules which will incorporate clauses to rectify the anomalies in the relevant rules. It says that during the year 2017-18, 96 disciplinary cases were initiated against the officers belonging to Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), Secretariat Group, Office Management Group (OMG) and other groups and services, controlled by the ministries and divisions. Out of these 96 cases, 42 cases were finalised or closed. During the year, only four major penalties and six minor penalties were imposed on officers and 23 officers were exonerated. Action on the remaining cases is under process.The year book states that a total of 30 appeals, under the Civil Servants (Appeal) Rules, 1977, were received out of which 27 were submitted to the Prime Minister‘s Office for orders of the prime minister/president being Appellate Authority. The prime minister or president passed orders on 27 appeals, accepting three and rejecting 14, while nine are still pending in the PM Office. Remaining three appeals were sent back to relevant departments with certain queries and observations and one appeal has time barred.
08-02-2019, 05:39 PM
Establishment Division admits: Accountability system for bureaucracy flawed
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