ISLAMABAD: Following the directives of Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power to transfer the twenty-five years Chitral-fixated Wapda official, PEPCO has swung into action to resolve the issue on priority basis. Managing Director (MD) Pepco Tahir Bashrat Cheema told Business Recorder on Friday that he had directed the vigilance committee of the department to submit a report about the official's deployment in Chitral for the last so many years.
There are public complaints, which prompted Pepco to initiate proceedings to remove the Wapda superintendent, Ghulam Rashid, to give the people a sigh of relief, as the official has been blamed for the power crisis in the district. Despite the public outcry and widespread complaints against the official, he has not been transferred so far, owing to his connections with the people who matter the most.
When asked why he is hesitant to initiate departmental proceedings despite the Senate body directives, Mr Cheema, who is known and respected among his peers for his honesty, assured of taking stern action against the official the moment he gets the committee's report.
"I am just waiting for the vigilance committee's report. A superintendent is a very small fry and if the department fails to take him to task what about the people who really have immense power at their backs", he added. He further said he was fully cognisant of the problems being faced by the people due to high-handedness of a low paid official, who is enjoying full control of the department in the area. "This is the reason I preferred to direct the vigilance committee of the department to probe into the matter instead of seeking report from the chief executive officer of Wapda", he maintained.
This is pertinent to note that Ghulam Rashid commands immense power in Chitral, as public representatives including provincial minister for population welfare Salim Khan and MNA Shehzada Muheiuddin have been miserably failed in their efforts to get him transferred from the area.
The official has been blamed for running the department as its fiefdom. He is very infamous among the locals for his disregard and indifferent attitude toward the miseries of masses due to the power outages. Earlier, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Zahid Khan had taken up the issue in the Senate committee's meeting held on December 17. The committee directed the concerned officials to transfer the said official and submit a report to the committee. Business Recorder
There are public complaints, which prompted Pepco to initiate proceedings to remove the Wapda superintendent, Ghulam Rashid, to give the people a sigh of relief, as the official has been blamed for the power crisis in the district. Despite the public outcry and widespread complaints against the official, he has not been transferred so far, owing to his connections with the people who matter the most.
When asked why he is hesitant to initiate departmental proceedings despite the Senate body directives, Mr Cheema, who is known and respected among his peers for his honesty, assured of taking stern action against the official the moment he gets the committee's report.
"I am just waiting for the vigilance committee's report. A superintendent is a very small fry and if the department fails to take him to task what about the people who really have immense power at their backs", he added. He further said he was fully cognisant of the problems being faced by the people due to high-handedness of a low paid official, who is enjoying full control of the department in the area. "This is the reason I preferred to direct the vigilance committee of the department to probe into the matter instead of seeking report from the chief executive officer of Wapda", he maintained.
This is pertinent to note that Ghulam Rashid commands immense power in Chitral, as public representatives including provincial minister for population welfare Salim Khan and MNA Shehzada Muheiuddin have been miserably failed in their efforts to get him transferred from the area.
The official has been blamed for running the department as its fiefdom. He is very infamous among the locals for his disregard and indifferent attitude toward the miseries of masses due to the power outages. Earlier, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Zahid Khan had taken up the issue in the Senate committee's meeting held on December 17. The committee directed the concerned officials to transfer the said official and submit a report to the committee. Business Recorder
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