Matching qualification issue: TCP reverts 39 'conditionally' regularised employees

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) Board of Directors has decided to adjust/revert the 39 'conditionally' regularised employees against the post, matching with their qualification at the time of regularisation. Sources told Business Recorder on Thursday that the TPC board met on July 16, 2014 with TCP chief Rizwan Ahmed in the chair and discussed long pending dispute of 39 employees, whose regularisation was subject to fulfilment of condition of required matching qualification.
"The issue of conditional appointment was placed before the board in its 293rd meeting held on Wednesday and the board finally decided to adjust the employees against the post matching with their qualification as on November 4, 2011. With this decision, all conditionally regularised employees have been reverted as per their qualification at the time of regularisation. Following of directives of the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and the Establishment Division, the TCP regularised some 197 temporary employees, working in TCP as contract employees, for a period of one year or more in 2011.
Of 197 temporary employees, some 39 were working as contractual staff on those seats/posts, which were profoundly above their academic qualification. Reportedly, these employees were appointed without following the TCP's Service Rules and most of them were relatives of officers of TCP.
At the time of regularisation of these 39 temporary employees, the Service Rules were made applicable and academic qualification were examined by GA&HR Division in the light of TCP Service Rules for regularisation of contract employees. The documents of all these employees were scrutinised and it was found that of the 197 employees, 39 employees didn't possess the prescribed qualification for the post they were holding.
However, on November 4, 2011, TCP regularised the services of 197 employees and issued two different office orders No TCP(HR)/14-124/2011 to confirm the contract employees. The first office order was issued for regularisation of 158 employees, who were qualified as per their posts, while some 39 employees were regularised with the condition that a committee will examine their qualification and in accordance with the prescribed TCP rules they will be considered for the post matching with their qualification, in case qualification of these employees didn't conform to their present post.
According to TCP's board decision dated October 28, 2011, the services of some 39 employees were regularised subject to fulfilment of condition of required matching qualification to be assessed/decided by a committee constituted by the BoD. At the time of regularisation, they were also required to produce original certificates/degrees of their educational qualification, original domicile certificate and other relevant documents within a week.
Later, the committee examined the cases of these 39 employees on August 29, 2012 and stated that none of the employees possessed matching qualification for the post held by them as specified in the rules. The committee recommended that the rules may be waived for 6 officers, including Muhammad Asif Rajpar, appointed as Manager, Zafarullah Zanjego Manager, Waheed Gul, appointed as Deputy Manager, Muhammad Waseem Siddiqui Deputy Manager and Muhammad Imran Burhanullah was appointed as Deputy Manager. The remaining should be given such period to fulfil the requirement.
The committee's recommendations were not accepted by the Executive Committee of Board (ECB), but despite this recommendation two Managers Muhammad Asif Rajpar and Zafarullah Zanjego, were promoted as Deputy General Managers (DGMs) on the basis of "capability and suitability," in March 2013. At the time of creation and promotion of DGM, TCP was accused of making illegal promotions on "pick and choose" basis, depriving meritorious senior officials of their right to elevation. Some employees of the TCP, who felt left-out during the promotion spell, registered their written complaints with high officials of the corporation.
Against the promotion to the post of DGM, several representations/legal notices were served on TCP's management and an officer Tariq D Khan moved Sindh High Court. Chairman TCP Rizwan Ahmed shortly after assuming the office in July last year, addressed the issue and the TCP board taking a bold step decided to adjust/revert 39 employees without any 'pressure'.
Two DGMs have been adjusted as assistant managers, some 8 deputy managers have also been adjusted as assistant managers and 10 employees have been reverted as junior assistants and some 9 adjusted as Naib Qasids. Sources said although, presently some of these employees have attained the qualification, but failed to meet the matching qualification at the time of regularisation and took about two years to submit their documents.