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Top power sector bosses hang on, hoping to survive
The PML-N government is yet to move against the top brass of the power sector as no head has rolled even after the party has spent a month deliberating on how to handle the precarious situation.
Right from the secretary Water & Power to Wapda chairman and chief executives of power supply companies continue to serve, whereas there is no let-up in the line losses and power theft across the country.
Background interviews reveal that charges of line losses against the mid-level officers are used to charge bribe and failing to comply with the directives result in their transfer to non-lucrative positions.
It has been learnt that Khawaja Asif, the Minister of Water and Power, is at odds with the current lot of bureaucracy but is unable to reshuffle them, something that reflects on the rampant corruption and closely knit circles of who is who.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced after taking oath that power sectors would be completely overhauled and current chief executives of the energy sector reshuffled.However, the reality is contrary to the pledges made. Bureaucrats line up in the power corridor in order to get a new lease of life in service using references from influential quarters.
So much influence they command that Khawaja Asif is unable to change his federal secretary tainted with malpractices and misuse of official vehicles, said a ministry official.The minister sent a number of requests to the PM Secretariat, according to the source, for replacing the secretary but in vain.
The replacement of incumbent secretary, a BS-22 female bureaucrat, being offered by the PM Secretariat is not acceptable to the minister.Another trouble the ministers face is incompetent bureaucracy as it has become an ardent task to name a choice officer who is both competent and honest.
Pick any secretary for presentation about his ministry. He will end up after five questions are asked. They lack vision and capacity, said another official who suggested cutting retirement age to 55-year in order to phase out the incompetent bureaucratic lot.
I will also be the victim of this (proposed cut in retirement age) but it doesnt matter as long as it helps improving governance, said a BS-21 officer. Governance mess is grave than the political mess, he said.
Although the Punjab chief minister is blamed for appointing junior officers at senior position but the reason behind this practice is presence of a senior lot that is good for nothing, said that bureaucrat.
Other than the federal secretary, a key chief executive of the power sector is also digging in heals to stay at his seat no matter what price he has to pay. During the recent energy conference in Dubai, it has been learnt, the said chief executive virtually started begging in front of a chief minister praying he should not be removed. I can do any service you desire, he told the chief minister.
Likewise, all the chief executives of power supply companies are in place as no effort has been made to replace them. Other than the irregular appointments in the power supply companies, corruption is rampant there.
While Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh are notorious for non-payment of bills and line losses, Punjab is not immune from such malpractices. Officers to the rank of SDO and XEN are transferred on the charges of line losses and these orders are withdrawn after they grease palms of their bosses, said an insider.
The News tried to approach Khawaja Asif for comments for three days but he was not available as he was abroad. Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, when contacted, explained that the government has not deviated from its commitments of reshuffling chief executives of power supply companies but the process will be conducted in a transparent manner.He said the top positions have been advertised in order to make appointments on merit so that nobody could question the credentials of fresh appointees.
Top power sector bosses hang on, hoping to survive - thenews.com.pk
WAPDA is a mafia, pmln needs to bring some competent person to deal with them.
The PML-N government is yet to move against the top brass of the power sector as no head has rolled even after the party has spent a month deliberating on how to handle the precarious situation.
Right from the secretary Water & Power to Wapda chairman and chief executives of power supply companies continue to serve, whereas there is no let-up in the line losses and power theft across the country.
Background interviews reveal that charges of line losses against the mid-level officers are used to charge bribe and failing to comply with the directives result in their transfer to non-lucrative positions.
It has been learnt that Khawaja Asif, the Minister of Water and Power, is at odds with the current lot of bureaucracy but is unable to reshuffle them, something that reflects on the rampant corruption and closely knit circles of who is who.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced after taking oath that power sectors would be completely overhauled and current chief executives of the energy sector reshuffled.However, the reality is contrary to the pledges made. Bureaucrats line up in the power corridor in order to get a new lease of life in service using references from influential quarters.
So much influence they command that Khawaja Asif is unable to change his federal secretary tainted with malpractices and misuse of official vehicles, said a ministry official.The minister sent a number of requests to the PM Secretariat, according to the source, for replacing the secretary but in vain.
The replacement of incumbent secretary, a BS-22 female bureaucrat, being offered by the PM Secretariat is not acceptable to the minister.Another trouble the ministers face is incompetent bureaucracy as it has become an ardent task to name a choice officer who is both competent and honest.
Pick any secretary for presentation about his ministry. He will end up after five questions are asked. They lack vision and capacity, said another official who suggested cutting retirement age to 55-year in order to phase out the incompetent bureaucratic lot.
I will also be the victim of this (proposed cut in retirement age) but it doesnt matter as long as it helps improving governance, said a BS-21 officer. Governance mess is grave than the political mess, he said.
Although the Punjab chief minister is blamed for appointing junior officers at senior position but the reason behind this practice is presence of a senior lot that is good for nothing, said that bureaucrat.
Other than the federal secretary, a key chief executive of the power sector is also digging in heals to stay at his seat no matter what price he has to pay. During the recent energy conference in Dubai, it has been learnt, the said chief executive virtually started begging in front of a chief minister praying he should not be removed. I can do any service you desire, he told the chief minister.
Likewise, all the chief executives of power supply companies are in place as no effort has been made to replace them. Other than the irregular appointments in the power supply companies, corruption is rampant there.
While Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh are notorious for non-payment of bills and line losses, Punjab is not immune from such malpractices. Officers to the rank of SDO and XEN are transferred on the charges of line losses and these orders are withdrawn after they grease palms of their bosses, said an insider.
The News tried to approach Khawaja Asif for comments for three days but he was not available as he was abroad. Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, when contacted, explained that the government has not deviated from its commitments of reshuffling chief executives of power supply companies but the process will be conducted in a transparent manner.He said the top positions have been advertised in order to make appointments on merit so that nobody could question the credentials of fresh appointees.
Top power sector bosses hang on, hoping to survive - thenews.com.pk
WAPDA is a mafia, pmln needs to bring some competent person to deal with them.
