LAHORE: The company secretary of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) is seeking third extension in his employment contract amidst ongoing inquiries against his performance at the level of SECP, Power Division and DG Audit (Power).
According to the documents available with Business Recorder, the company secretary’s original contract of 2017 allowed an all-inclusive fixed salary that seems to have been unilaterally buffeted in 2018. He has been drawing 27% more salary than allowed. It is important to note that changes in the original contract conditions are not allowed. The employment contract has since expired on the 9th of July 2023.
Sources said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the company secretary and the Human Resources Director (HRD) in contravention of governmental rules governing contract appointments and any extension thereof, arranged unwarranted legal opinion for arranging extension for the former company secretary, while keeping the HR Committee unaware of the rules. It was also said that the private legal advisor’s warning to the management that the rules of the government need to be considered was kept hidden which explicitly prohibits the extension of an employment contract beyond two years.
They said the Lesco management was making a mockery of the HR committee as no mandatory seven days prior notice was issued before fixing its meeting for the 20th July 2023. Accordingly, some of the Board members have agitated the violations of the relevant rules and regulations by Lesco.
The sources from the Lesco Board said similar discrepancies have become the norm of the day and the company secretary has made no correction to his practice of ignoring mandatory requirement for notices before putting a matter to either the committees or the Board itself for consideration.
It may be noted that the present Board was constituted on 20th December 2022, but the Lesco chief has sought extension in the contract of the company secretary on the basis of his last six years performance that too during the tenure of earlier Boards, thus confusing the Board, whereas performance evaluation for the last year from July 2022 to June 2023 duly initiated the Board members was required, who have objected and also posted notes of dissent.
In this regards, the HR Committee has asked the CEO to file the annual confidential report (ACR) from FY 2022-23 of the company secretary before asking for consideration to the third extension in the contract of the company secretary.
According to the sources, the HR Committee members have further strongly agitated against the preparation of a fake resolution on behalf of the committee during its 149th meeting. The said controversial resolution desires continuation of the company secretary in his office beyond the last date of his contract until the Board takes a final decision on his extension.
Sources from among the committee members have pointed out that no such resolution was ever passed and adopted in any such meeting. It was decided that the advertisement for the hiring of company secretary along with the timeline will be presented in next Board meeting, whereas he is still illegally occupying the vacant seat and handling the confidential record of Lesco, they said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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