WHY were some people so confident about the setup of our civil services and the competence of local civil servants? A prime reason was its method of recruitment. Another was the judicious method of preparing the seniority list.

There was no excuse for exemptions from departmental examinations and career-related trainings. The mode of entry into civil services of a country was only on the basis of merit through competitive examinations. There was no chance for direct inductions.

In the post-independence period, civil services lost their prestige because of violation of rules and regulations on the method of recruitment. Direct appointments on the basis of political influence caused decay in the quality of public servants.

The method for recruitment is defined by law as 50 per cent direct recruitment on the recommendations of the Sindh Public Services Commission (SPSC) on the outcome of the combined competitive examinations, and 50 per cent through promotions from the available lot of Mukhtiarkars serving in the revenue department.

Later on, six per cent seats from the quota of promotions were kept for recruitment as assistant commissioner amongst subordinate officials of the revenue department and PS of the chief secretary, chief minister and ministers of the government of Sindh for which select list ‘A’ and select list ‘B’ were to be prepared on the basis of exigency only and with consultation of the commission.The consecutive governments after 1988 started violating rules while directly appointing assistant commissioners in BS-17 over and above their prescribed ratio of six per cent against promotional seats, giving them seniority from the date of appointment.

The present lot of civil servants of the province, comprising BS-18 to BS-21, is from those officers who were recruited directly through nominations by passing the Public Service Commission and exempting them from mandatory departmental examinations. These officers have usurped the legal rights of qualified people.

Besides, they have occupied prime postings in the government of Sindh as secretary, commissioner, deputy commissioner, additional secretary and deputy secretary.

Therefore, they are delivering less and appeasing their political bosses more.

The government from 1988-1990 and 1994-96 took a big leap for appointments in BS-17 of the executive branch of the S and GAD through direct nominations while bypassing the Public Service Commission and violating relevant rules regarding nominations and quota.

The government took historic strides in according exemptions to their own appointees from passing mandatory departmental examination of assistant collector part I and II.

At least, 90 per cent exemptions have been granted during the last four years.

In this scenario, it is not possible to run the business of government departments in a befitting manner when responsible officers also fall victim to bad governance and start running hither and thither to file appeals/petitions before various courts for promotions and seniority. They keep struggling to save themselves from the crux of the executive authority of political leadership.

DR ABDUL QADEER MEMON Naushero Feroze, Sindh