Earlier, Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon, who also holds charge of the LG Department, had mentioned 20,000 illegal appointments in the department but a recent report of a departmental inquiry committee suggested that the figure of 20,000 was only for one year, 2012.
The committee disclosed a fraud of appointing nearly 14,000 persons illegally in the LG department in 2013.The department sources told ‘The News’ that the figure of these illegal appointees from 2009 to 2013 is above 50,000 and a team of honest and impartial officers should be appointed to investigate the whole matter.
The illegal appointees caused a heavy burden on the exchequer and the department is now unable to pay salaries to its staff.Following the reports of illegal appointments in the Sindh LG department, the Sindh government appointed Nazeer Dhoon, the then additional secretary and now member of the Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT), as inquiry officer.
Dhoon inquired into the matter and submitted a report to the Local Government Secretary Javed Hanif, disclosing the scam.According to the report of Dhoon, a copy available with ‘The News’, illegal appointments were made on the directions of powerful PPP ministers with collaboration of department’s officers. The process started from 2009 and it reached its peak in 2012.
The report further said that the illegal appointments were made in the LG and its subordinate departments — former city governments, district governments and taluka governments. It was also disclosed that hundreds of persons were inducted as employees through fake transfer orders and the concerned officers, without verifying their employments, issued salaries to the illegal appointees.
Thousands of illegal employments were also created in former city government and its subordinate departments like KMC, Water Board, City Warden, Fire Brigade, but, despite the orders of the Sindh government, the record of these appointments was not produced before the inquiry team.
The report declared the department’s former secretary Ali Ahmed Lund as responsible for the matter. It is to be mentioned here that Lund, an officer of federal government, was posted irregularly as LG secretary in previous tenure of the Sindh government. His posting was declared as illegal by the Supreme Court in July 2013 and he was ordered among some other officers to join back their parent departments but despite the apex court orders Lund did not join his parent department and was appointed on an important position as secretary co-operative, Sindh.
Some of the illegal appointments were made on political basis while others were made after getting bribe by the officers of the department.According to the report, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officer Fakhar Shaikh appointed more than 1,000 persons illegally on contract basis and then confirmed them without provision and the permission of the competent authority; Larkana District Council officer Abdul Qadir Shaikh appointed over 800 persons, Taluka Municipal Administration (TMA) official Asghar Bhand appointed 443 persons, Manjhad TMA’s Aurangzaib Sammo appointed 160, Khairpur Nathan Shah TMA’s Rafiq Shaikh and Abdul Wahid appointed 300 plus, Nawabshah Municipal’s Najaf Rind 200, TMA Jati’s Munawar Mallah 155, Tando TMA’s Ghulam Ali Akbar Bhurt appointed 1,000 plus, Dadu District Council’s Parvez Chandio 400, Salih Pat Town Committee’s Aijaz Palh and Liaqat Kalhoro 300 plus, Dahrki Town Committee’s Hazar Khan Mahar and Abdul Rehman Soomro appointed more than 500, and Khan Garh Town Committee’s Banho Khan Mahar appointed 600 plus.
The report also accused the officers Tariq Hussain Bhugio, Abdul Rasheed Malak, Irshad Hulio, Abdul Qadir Shaikh, Gul Muhammd Khokhar, Ismail Nandwani, Nisar Magsi, Zafar Phulpoto, Nasurullah Sarki of illegal appointments.
It suggested for further and comprehensive investigation through the Anti-Corruption Department, and verification of record of all the employees through Nadra.The Dhoon report said that the investigation regarding illegal appointments in the Sindh LG department was conducted only for one year – 2012 - and insisted for a comprehensive probe i.e. from June 2009 till date.
The report pointed out Liaquat Kalhoro, Aijaz Palh, Rasheed Malak and others, who were appointed illegally in the LG department and then merged their services in other Sindh government departments.
LG Secretary Javed Hanif, confirming about the inquiry report, told ‘The News’ that the matter will be placed before the chief minister for proper action. Replying to a question, Hanif said he was unable to tell actual number of illegal appointees because the matter required more inquiry and scrutiny.
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