Three officers' recruitment: Ministry of S&T violates rules & regulations: NA body

A sub-committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was held on Thursday to review audit report of Ministry of Science and Technology for 2013-14.
Shahida Akhtar Ali, convened the meeting of panel, observed that the ministry violated the Cabinet Division's rules and regulations. The ministry hired services of three officers in grade 17 when there was ban on recruitments, it said, adding in addition, no advertisement was given which was violation of the PPRA rules.
The committee rejected the explanation given by the ministry officials who claimed that the services of three officers were regularised by the executive board.
Audit officials contended that the decision of putting ban on all government jobs was taken under the austerity measures by the then prime minister, therefore their services should be regularised from the prime minister.
The committee directed the ministry to send a summary to the prime minister for regularisation of their services.
The audit officials further pointed out that science foundation hired services of 14 officials by violating the services rules of federal government.
The committee observed a malafide intention in these recruitments and directed for an inquiry. The officials contended that the officials had worked in the department till the validity of their contracts. Three persons were such among contract employees who replaced their fathers after their death under the rules and regulation.
The committee also expressed its serious concern over regularising 158 daily wages employees taken in "Drinking Clean Water Project". The officials explained that a summary had been sent to the prime minister but they returned with an objection that it might impact on other case of regularisation pending in the courts.
In her observations, the convenor said that these daily wages employees had been working for last 10 years in the project. They should be observed in departmental cadre as they exceeded the age limits fixed for government services. If they were terminated from the services, their families would suffer.