Powerful lobby working for direct induction of 200 people into OMG

Powerful lobby working for direct induction of 200 people into OMG

By Saleem Mehsud

ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 : A powerful lobby has been working for making partial and direct induction of their blue-eyed people into the Office Management Group (OMG) and a list of around 200 people was being compiled by the lobbyists, which was lying on the prime minister’s table for final approval.

The prime minister would sign the list of selected officers compiled by the powerful lobby at any movement which would pave the way for appointment of more incompetent officers and administrators in the government’s key department and would halt the way of competent and eligible officers.

Sources in the PM Secretariat told INP that the powerful lobby has made structural changes into OMG constitution for direct induction into the lucrative posts and the whole process of inducting 200 people will be accomplished by doing injustice to the CSS officers.

The OMG department, which basically deals with the implementation and formulation of various state policies, induction into the group was blocked twice from 7th common to 17th common through Central Superior Services (CSS) exams because politicians and dictators have made mass direct induction into the group by bringing ineligible and incompetent officers merely on political basis.

“Dictators have also directly inducted officers from autonomous bodies like various corporations which were against the rules of induction into the group,” sources said.

The government in 1973 had introduced CSS exams in order to bring competent officers to serve the state and the masses and at the time provision of lateral entry was also included into the rules of occupational groups according to which government could directly appoint officers in order to fill vacant post because of scarcity of educated and literate people in 70s era.

Unfortunately, politicians and dictators have utilized the lateral entry provision for their interests and made numerous direct inductions especially in OMG which has halted the way of CSS officers who were not willing to join the group because of presence of incompetent bosses.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led coalition government has been blamed repeatedly by the opposition vehemently for prevailing rampant corruption in each government department and by signing the list of 200 officers compiled by the powerful lobby the move would further mar the image of major political party and also the essence of merit would be affected by this decision.

Government should stop the lateral entry into the OMG and should induct only CSS officers in order to do justice with the competent youth who go through competitive exams. Lateral entry, 1973 phenomena, is no more required because Pakistan has plenty of literate and educated people at present and government could utilise their energies in better way despite bringing incompetent and ineligible officers to OMG.

Similarly, OMG is dealing with policies and serious matters of the state so incompetent and ineligible officers would not be able to deliver in better way in the situation while the country has been facing several challenges -- both internal and external.