STUDIES FOR REFORMS IN THE BUREAUCRACY

MIAN KHUDA BAKHSH

(Rtd) ACS Punjab And Member Punjab Public Service Commission

 i. ii. iii. iv.

Since after independence, reformatory studies have continued to be made, briefly stated as under:under:In 1953, Prof. Rowland Egger of USA made a report. In 1955, Mr.Barnard Gladieux, also from USA as a Gladieux, Consultant on Public Administration, made a report. In 1962, Pay and Services Commission, headed by Mr. Justice A.R. Cornelius submitted its report. In 1969, a mixed working group of CSP and non CSP officers studied the Fulton Committee Report published in UK. In that report the Fulton Committee had not recommended the kind of civil service for UK as the British rulers had introduced in the Indian sub-continent. subThe report had, therefore, become of vital interest for Pakistan.

Observations and similarities

The observations of identical & similar nature made in these reports could be briefly stated as under:under:A. a)Superiority of the generalists (in terms of their fast-track promotions against the federal fastand provincial as well as aut. bodies and other aut. exex-cadre listed or un-listed posts and their undominance over the provincial services and the other technical/professional functionaries) was criticized. The services structure was too subservient to mere academic notions of intelligence and ability with little care for other factors.

B. Recruitment standards were archaic. C. System bound into cadres and services fortifications; Officers tend to be obsessed with service membership, title, class and rank and too little concerned with particular job responsibilities. An officer ought to have some pride of service and even pride of place, but he ought to be even more proud of the work in which he is cooperating and the Government which he is serving.

D. In the generalists, one particular service group (i.e. the CSP) were ruling over all others and would occupy higher posts in the Secretariat, (Federal and Provincial); outside the Secretariats, in the Provinces, Civil Divisions, Districts, sub-districts and subexex-cadre posts also. E. Promotions for the members of the technical, specialists, and Professional service groups were very slow, tardy and chances of their ex-cadre postings were exalso very poor.

RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN THESE STUDIES

a) Unification of entire group of employees into a single civil service of Pakistan with internal groupings solely for administrative convenience. Standardized Pay Scales based on comprehensive job analysis. sss In the First Five Year Plan(1955-60),the Plan(1955-60),the dominance of the generalists cadre of civil service over the other cadres was resented and it was recommended that non-technical central nonsuperior services should be combined into a single civil service the (then) existing services should be converted into branches of this combined civil service. service.

b) c)

d) About the role of a CSP officer as Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner, it was observed to be more of a Coordinator. The position of Coordinator at district level and divisional level should be laid open to members of all superior services, to be achieved purely by selection, proof of talent shown and of possession of managerial capacities which have been or can be improved by courses of training. e) Various functions of special nature which are at present concentrated in the person or posts of the Deputy Commissioner may be separated and placed under their own district heads.

f)

This working group which made a critical study of the Fulton Report recommended that the existing class-I services of the classcentral govt. and other identifiable groups of classclass-I officers should become branches of a combined service to be known as the central public service; all branches should have uniform status and grades of pay, though they should retain their identity as separate occupational groups. The present use of labels at the end of the names should be discarded.

g)

h)

i)

On the same lines, at the provincial level, all existing classclass-I services and identifiable groups should become branches of a combined provincial public service (for each province) which should have the same status as the Central Public Service and, in due course, similar grade of pay. The present CSP will continue as a branch but its regular field should be specified as magisterial functions and land revenue collection and its own cadre should include only the relevant posts in the districts, divisions and Provincial Board of Revenues. For ex-cadre posts, they should be eligible on the exsame and equal basis as officers of other branches. The above majority view of the group was, how ever, not supported by some of its CSP members.

ACTION ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS

In 19 72, the G o vernm ent of Paki sta n 72 , appoi nt ed an Ad min istr ati ve Reform s Committee, paralleled by similar Committees in the Provinces to study all previous reports / recommendations and come out with concrete proposals. On receipt of the final proposals. proposals and after due consideration by the Government, the Prime Minister on 20th 20 th August; August; 1973 announced the Administrative Reforms in the civil services. The main services . features of the reforms and the status of action taken could be summarized as under:under:

A. All services and cadres merged into a unified graded structure with equal opportunities of upward movement to all entrants! B. Occupational groups formed and service/recruitment rules on uniform pattern framed for each group. Selection for initial appointment at BSBS-17 for these group centralized and harmonized.

C. Classes of Government Servants abolished and replaced by a unified graded structure from BS-1 to 22 and 22 plus. BSD. Use of service labels discontinued Rules made. E. Promotions assured and horizontal movements ( including movement of tech personnel to the cadre of general management carrying post of executive nature made easy). F. Out of turn or accelerated promotion made possible for extraordinary performance.

G. Job description, job-evaluation, professionalism joband specialization to be the determinant factors for gradation. H. Lateral entry from private sector such as insurance, banking, industry , trade and other professions at appropriate levels in the Federal and Provincial services made possible. I. Nearly 600 grades or scales of pay of government servants reduced to 22 or 23. J. Nearly 15 occupational groups formed as branches of the Unified Graded Structure. K. Max. age limit fixed.

L. Posts divided into selection and nonnonselection in order to give greater recognition to merit and due regard to seniority. M. Concepts of selection grades and moves over retained or introduced. Concept of crossing E.B.discontinued. N. Common training programme introduced for all the occupational groups +group wise specialized trg. Rules made. O. Role of the FPSC & PSCs re-determined. reCommissions reconstituted in accordance with the Constitution of 1973.

P. The CSP Composition and Cadre Rules 1954 suitably amended Q. E&D Rules Remade in the Center and in the Provinces. R. Above all, new laws titled as Civil Servants Acts made by the Federal Parliament and Provincial Assemblies to meet the requirement of Article 240 of the Constitution, 1973. S. For any breach of the conditions of the service and for matters ancilliary thereto, a civil servant made to take recourse to the service tribunals constituted in terms of Article 212 of the Constitution in the Center and Provinces.

T. Although the classification of posts into gazetted and non gazetted abolished, however, the necessity and practice of notifying all appointments etc to grade 16 and above in the Govt. gazette of the Govt. concerned allowed to be followed. U. Distinctions made in the terms of Grade, Scale , Post and Rank for the purposes of making gazette notifications and determining pays and allowances etc on appointments, promotion, moves over and selection grads etc.

T. Although the classification of posts into gazetted and non gazetted abolished, however, the necessity and practice of notifying all appointments etc to grade 16 and above in the Govt. gazette of the Govt. concerned allowed to be followed. U. Distinctions made in the terms of Grade, Scale , Post and Rank for the purposes of making gazette notifications and determining pays and allowances etc on appointments, promotion, moves over and selection grads etc. V. Opening of DMG,Custums and Foregin Service cadres to women.