Appointment of additional DG MDA challenged in SHC

The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to the chief secretary, the services secretary and others on a petition against the appointment of the additional director general of the Malir Development Authority on an own pay scale and deputation basis.

Petitioner Ansar Javed submitted that the Sindh government appointed former Karachi fisher harbour authority’s managing director Haji Ahmed, who was a grade 19 officer, as additional director general of the MDA, which is a grade 20 post, on an own pay scale and deputation basis. The petitioner contended that the appointment was in violation of the services rules and superior court judgments.

He submitted that various officers of the MDA of grade 20 were available to fill the stop gap arrangements for the post of additional DG, which could not be filled through the appointment of any officer from other departments on a deputation basis.

The petitioner further argued that the post of additional DG MDA was a promotion and non-cadre post that could be filled by an initial appointment or by promotion from the amongst grade 19 officers on a seniority-cum-fitness basis. He said the Sindh government did not comply with the court orders under which they had to appoint an eligible person to the vacant posts by way of promotion when the eligible persons were available in the MDA.

The court was requested to declare the notification with regard to the appointment of the additional DG of the MDA on a deputation basis as unlawful and to direct the respondents to appoint an eligible employee to the vacant post already available on a seniority-cum-fitness basis as per the law instead of an OPS and deputation basis.

He also requested the court to direct the provincial government to save the precious land of the MDA by restraining the additional DG from consolidating, adjusting or transferring scheme of land to private persons by passing a layout plan on the basis of fake revenue entries.

After the preliminary hearing of the petition, subject to its maintainability, a high court division bench, comprising Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Adnanul Karim Memon, issued notices to the chief secretary, the services secretary and others and called their comments on February 17.