Islamabad:The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) says the Establishment Division (ED) s non-compliance of a cabinet committee decision has resulted in unauthorized creation of posts of additional secretaries (ASs), putting an extra burden on the exchequer.

The latest AGP report 2010-11 also said the ED was not carrying out its mandate efficiently with particular regard to human resource management in the federal government, which may lower motivation of federal government employees leading to work inefficiencies.

The audit objected to unauthorized creation of ASs positions in federal ministries and divisions, and non-framing of placement criteria for the posts of ASs and senior joint secretaries (SJS) and rules and policy of nomination and induction.

It identified incumbents against positions of ASs in ministries of port & shipping, textile, culture, environment, communication and commerce etc. It said five positions of JS in these departments were not available, and thus the placement of ASs was in violation of the cabinet committee decision. It recommended implementation of this decision and rectification of related anomalies.

The report also noted some specific instances, indicating absence of laid down and merit-based criteria, due diligence and transparency, in the ED.

It said incumbents against posts of AS and SJS were drawing salary and perks and privileges of grade 21. It noted that while the post of AS is in grade 21, the SJS actually works against a post of grade 20. However, there is no defined criterion for the post of AS in grade 21 and or SJS in grade 20 in ministries and divisions.

The report also said the ED did not frame and notify criteria for nomination of officers to Staff College/National Institute of Management (NIM) and proportion of each occupational group in each course.

It said that the ED did not hold section officers (SOs) promotion examination since 2006. Resultantly, the strength of 665 SOs in ministries and divisions, at the time of audit, included 125 retired deputy secretaries/SOs appointed on contract basis for a period of one year on fixed pay package of Rs31,500 against 200 vacant posts of SOs.

The audit recommended provision of relevant record for review and framing of merit based criteria for promotion to the positions of SJSs; nomination of officers to staff College/NIM and proportion of each occupational group in each course; holding of SOs examination on a regular internal; and distribution of grade 21 vacancies between ASs and SJSs.

The report further pointed out unjustified payment of National School of Public Policy (NSPP) and institutional allowances to faculty. The review of the pay package was not approved by the Regulation Wing of Finance Ministry.

In addition to the NSPP allowance, the report said, the NSPP and its constituent bodies including National Management College (NMC) and NIM were plying 20 % instructional allowance to faculty of NMC, mid-career management course (MCMC) and senior management course (SMC) with effective from March 29, 2007.

The audit held that while NSPP allowance was claimed to be paid as an incentive to employees for the special role of the institution in the capacity building of civil service, there is no justification for allowing instructional allowance, which is similar in nature and substance.

It maintained that the payment of NSPP allowance to the faculty was without lawful authority, putting an extra burden on the exchequer. It recommended that its payment should be immediately discontinued and payment made on this account be recovered.The news.