LAHORE: Adhocism continues to rule the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) as most of the senior level posts have been placed under “acting charge, additional charge and look after” arrangement, ignoring huge legal implications of such scheme of things.
The list of the posts placed under such arrangement starts with the member water, which assumed added significance after break-up of Wapda by the government, mandating the authority to concentrate on water development projects alone.The post fell vacant on Sept 16, 2012, after the current chairman was promoted from the same slot. Since then, it is held by General Manager Husnain Afzal on an acting charge basis.
Similarly, the post of member power, which fell vacant on April 11, 2013, after the retirement of the then office holder, has been put under acting charge. First, Wajid Hamid was given the post on April 12, 2013. But he was removed just after 45 days and General Manager (hydel) Rizwan Ahmad took over the ‘acting charge’.
The member finance post was also run on an ‘acting charge’ basis for three years (between 2011-13) till the current member Arifa Saboohi – a bureaucrat – took charge in September 2013. She is “being bypassed on important decisions,” if insiders are to be believed.
In case of members of the authority, the appointing authority is the prime minister. “For these cases, neither the chairman sent names for regular appointments, nor the ministry asked him to do so,” says a former member (power).
“It is a mutually convenient arrangement; ad hoc employees remain vulnerable and compliant, which suites everyone,” he claimed.
So, neither the ministry is moving to fill these slots, nor the Prime Minister Secretariat has bothered. This is despite the fact that the authority was reportedly found guilty of some charges in an inquiry ordered by PM Secretariat. Still, it remains business as usual.
“If one looks at the appointments that the authority has made during the last two years, the bigger picture is easier to understand,” he said.
On its part, the authority has hired an army of advisors. All of them were appointed after their retirement – against Supreme Court orders – and then given posts of vital importance, like general manager and project directors with massive financial and administrative powers. The list of such appointees is topped by Ali Raza Shah – a close relative of the current chairman – who, after retirement on June 3, 2013, was appointed advisor to the authority on Neelum-Jehlum Hydro Power Company and was later given charge of its general manager. The auditors pointed out the illegality and asked the authority to recover emoluments given to Mr Shah against the post of GM. Within days, the charge of general manager was taken back but the gentleman is still holding the post of advisor.
The same process was at work for filling the posts of general manager projects (South), GM projects (North) and GM projects (Northern Areas). All these office holders were appointed as advisors and later given additional charges, with financial and administrative power. The list of advisors, all retired but retained by the authority, includes Iftikhar Husain Shah (adviser on hydel power projects), Rasheed Ahmed Khan Bangash (adviser projects, North), Ameer Bukhsh Mirani (adviser projects, South), Izharul Haq (adviser on Diamir Bhasha Dam), Zahirul Islam (adviser medical services), Abdul Jabbar (adviser Water Wing), Abdul Khalid Khan (adviser Water Wing) Brig Zareen (adviser projects Northern Areas), Aftab Shah (adviser on Diamir Bhasha Dam), Muhammad Jabbar (adviser P&D Division) and Dr Islahuddin (adviser medical services).
“In legal sense, the incomplete authority is, what they call, “non est,” says a former director (legal) of Wapda. Normally, the authority meets every week with around 15-point agenda.
“In the last one year, it has taken over 700 decisions; all are liable to be challenged in the court. If someone does so, the government might not be able to defend them,” he warned and added: “The battery of advisers, all retired employees, only complicates the issues. They are taking decisions worth billions of rupees, without any legal responsibility. If any complication develops because of these decisions, the government would be in trouble because these are taken without legal and administrative responsibility. But they (ad hoc advisors) suite the system because their decision can be bent according to will of the high-ups.”