Staff Reporter :
Some 90 non-cadre assistant engineers of the Department of Public health Engineering (DPHE) have been included as cadre official like regular one by the Local Government Division (LGD) with a retrospective effect from July, 2004 against some posts created in January, 2019 without facing any tests of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) after amending the recruitment rules.
Of the 90 assistant engineers, some 32 had started their jobs in various projects under the DPHE, while rests 58 officials were recruited as non-cadre one with the recommendation of BPSC.
At the same time, the 90 encadred assistant engineers were also given seniority considering their joining date in the service as non-cadre officer and in various projects depriving some 25 assistant engineers of regular batches from the promotion. A notification was issued on June 15 this year regularizing them.
But the LGD decision has created anger among the regular officials of DPHE. Seeking justice and scope of their promotion duly, regular officials of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) 28, 30, 31 and 32 batches have submitted applications to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Public Administration Ministry.
Regarding their complaints, BCS Public Health Engineering Cadre Association President Bilkis Akter told this correspondent that the authority cannot encadre an official with seniority against a newly created post with retrospective effect.
Due to the LGD decision, the newly encadred officials have become senior than the cadre officials of regular batches. They will now be senior even than the Chief Engineer and Additional Chief Engineer, and other senior officials of the DPHE waiting for promotions.
“The decision cannot be accepted. If the authority ignores our demand of cancellation of such decision and amend the gazette of giving them seniority, the deprived officials would be compelled to take legal steps. We had withdrawn our writ petition submitted earlier with the assurance of the authority. But, giving such a decision, the authority hasn’t kept its commitment,” she added.
In the complaint, the leaders claimed the BPSC hasn’t recommended the LGD to encadre the assistant engineers giving seniority with retrospective effect. There’s no scope of encadring them from the date of their joining. They can only be encadred from the date, the authority amended the recruitment rules or created the new posts of regular assistant engineers.
“If the decision is implemented, the 25 assistant engineers of regular batches of BCS 28, 30, 31 and 32 would be deprived of their promotion and benefits. Some LGD high officials had done the work influencing the administration,” Bilkis added.
When contacted, DPHE Chief Engineer Saifur Rahman told this correspondent that the ministry has taken the decision following the rules. “I think they have done the right job in accordance with the rules. They can tell about the matter well.”
When contacted, LGD Additional Secretary Khairul Islam of concerned wing told this correspondent that it’s not our discretion to decide about the matter. The LGD has issued the gazette following the decision of the Public Administration Ministry.
