Flawed accountability system for bureaucracy
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Establishment Division has admitted the failure of its accountability system for civil servants under Efficiency & Discipline Rules, and explained that the process of disciplinary proceedings against government officials is slow owing to non-adherence of rules.
In its year book for 2017-18, published recently, the ED said that the E&D Rules and relevant instructions are not followed by the Inquiry Officers/Authorized Officers (IO/AO) but 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.
It added that there are also cases 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 this process, the year book says, is that there is no clause or rule in the Rules Ibid 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 informed that the E & D Rules are being revised which will incorporate clauses to rectify the anomalies in the concerned Rules. It added that during the year 2017-18, 96 (Ninety Six) 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 (Forty Two) cases have been finalised/closed. During the year, only four major penalties and six minor penalties have been imposed upon officers and 23 officers were exonerated. Action on the remaining cases is under process.
The year book added that a total of 30 (Thirty) cases of appeals, under the Civil Servants (Appeal) Rules, 1977, were received out of which 27 (Twenty Seven) were submitted to the Prime Minister‘s Office for orders of the Prime Minister/President being Appellate Authority.
The Prime Minister/President passed orders on 27 appeals, accepting three and rejecting 14 appeals, while nine appeals are pending in PM Office. Remaining three appeals were sent back to departments concerned with certain queries/observations and one appeal has time barred.
