Strict action against non-technical building inspectors assured

Rawalpindi:Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatha has assured taking of strict action against non-technical (non-professional) building inspectors working in Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR). The Commissioner Rawalpindi Division who is also the Administrator of MCR while talking to ‘The News’ on Sunday said that he started an investigation as to how many non-technical staffers were working as building inspectors. “I will never spare non-technical building inspectors in Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi,” he warned.

The locals of Rawalpindi city have appreciated the positive efforts of the commissioner for trying to make all government offices corruption free. Some months back, Secretary of Local Government and Community Development (LG & CD) Dr Muhammad Irshad also assured to remove non-technical building inspectors from MCR but in vain. The Lahore High Court (LHC) also ordered to immediately remove non-technical building inspectors from MCR. The non-technical building inspector was a direct danger to citizens, the court in its order had stated.

The audit report also revealed that the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) does not have competent building inspectors in the department, which has resulted in the non-implementation of rules and bylaws in letter and spirit.

According to local government service (appointment & conditions of services) rule, a building inspector’s (BS-14) qualification should be matriculation (1st division) with a Diploma of Associates Engineering (civil/ architecture) from an institute recognised by the Punjab Board of Technical Education or other recognized institution.

However, the audit report revealed that the unqualified staffers were working as building inspectors on a rotation basis, while duties related to this post are technical. As per PLGA, the qualification of an inspector should be a three-year Diploma of Associate Engineer (DAE) but it has been noticed that all deputed inspectors are underqualified which has resulted in non-implementation of rules and bylaws in letter and spirit.

The officials working as building inspectors were basically clerks by designations but they were deputed as building inspectors either for having good relations with the political leadership or with the officers. The building inspectors just issue a notice to the owner of the illegal construction to save themselves from any departmental action, but after issuing the notice, they do not follow them.

According to building bylaws, commercial buildings with a height of 40 feet maximum (one plus two) are allowed within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi, but dozens of commercial buildings constructed in the recent past having a height of over 50 feet, which is a violation of the building bylaws, but MCR officers are unable to see these high-rise buildings. From time to time, the citizens also highlight these violations in written form, but the MCR officials put their applications under the table.

Data available with ‘The News’ revealed that 13 non-technical clerks were performing duties as ‘building inspectors’ in Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) for years. The names and designations of 13 employees were Muhammad Bilal clerk, Ghazanfar Ullah clerk, Shahbaz Satti clerk, Muhammad Fiaz clerk, Raja Ejaz Raza clerk, Abdul Ghafoor clerk, Muhammad Safdar clerk, Ansar Safir clerk, Zahid Abbas clerk, Basit Azam clerk, Raja Haroon Rasheed clerk, Iftikhar Ahmed clerk and Raja Iftikhar Ahmed an account clerk. These employees have been performing duty as ‘building inspectors’ for years but nobody has taken any kind of action against them.