ISLAMABAD – Ogra employees have protested an alleged irregularity committed by its high ups ostensibly in their desperate bid to appease government gurus who are hell bent to benefit a blue-eyed for a lucrative slot of joint executive director (techincal), it was transpired on Sunday.
Sources privy to the development revealed that Ogra succumbing to the political pressure has made an illegal appointment of Masroor Ahmad on deputation against the post of JED (Technical) and career growth of regular officers has almost been blocked with this alleged irregularity. Ogra’s employees have filed a representation before the Authority in this regard. This decision of the Authority is a gross violation of Ogra’s regulations and contempt of Supreme Court, sources said adding, that the incumbent deputationist is an employee of SNGPL whose appointment in Ogra will create conflict of interest and jeopardise judicious regulation. They further alleged that there are serious allegations of involvement in gas theft and other corruption charges on the deputationist.
It was also learnt that the regular employees of Ogra have vowed to pursue all available legal avenues to get this decision of the Authority reversed. They have submitted their representation to the Authority and recorded their reservation and protest in person.Today, they are going to start their peaceful and disciplined protest by wearing black ribbons and standing in front of the office of the Authority till the decision is reversed and if the illegal decision is not reversed by protests, the employees of Ogra will take the matter to the court.
Available copy of the representation filed by the employees of Ogra has revealed that Ogra’s officers had launched their protest against illegal appointment. Recently, a post of Joint Executive Director (Technical) in pay scale E-4 was vacated after promotion of a JED as executive director (technical) in pay scale E-5. This vacant post had to be filled by promoting the eligible DED (Technical) as was done in other cases during recent promotions given by the Authority. However, the same could not be done due to unknown reasons.
There are currently nine officers working in Ogra as DED (Technical) who are eligible for promotion as JED (Technical). All these officers possess relevant technical academic qualification; have vast and diverse experience of public and private organisations in the oil and gas sector. They have also demonstrated their capability to perform in extremely difficult circumstances during their service in Ogra. None of these officers have ever been found lacking in integrity, efficiency and expertise to assume higher/greater responsibility. Some of these officers are waiting for years to be promoted to higher scale due to want of the vacancy.
Sources further opined that now when the vacancy had occurred there was natural expectation that the one most suitable officer will be promoted and the others will wait for next vacancy (s) without any heartburning or misgivings among themselves. However, unfortunately the Authority due to external political pressures brought in an officer from SNGPL on deputation against the vacant post of JED (Technical).According to the letter of employees, “This decision of Ogra is not only against the interests of its aspiring and eligible officers and interests of the Organization itself but also a gross violation of Ogra’s regulations and contempt of honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan on the following grounds:
(!)Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) is a statutory body established under Ogra Ordinance 2002. Matters relating to appointment, transfer and promotion of the employees of the Authority are governed under Ogra’s Service Regulations 2005 made in pursuance of Section 14.(2) and Section 42 (2) d of the Ordinance. As per regulation 15 (5) of the regulations, all the posts of deputy executive directors (DED) in pay scale E-3 and above in inter-alia the technical cadre of the Authority are to be filled through promotion. So the decision of bringing an outsider on deputation on a higher scale is gross violation of Ogra Service Regulations 2005.
