RAWALPINDI - The provincial government has been running the affairs of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) in a casual manner as most of the top slots, including the post of Director General (DG), in the civic agency are being administered by the low-cadre officials having additional charge. The provincial government has failed to appoint a permanent DG for RDA, while the deserving candidates for the post have been deprived of the promotion for years, on the other part as many as top 15 administrative and other positions have also been laying vacant for well over an year while low cadre officials have been conferred the additional charge of these posts. An official in Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), a department responsible for the promotions and other affairs of the officer cadre, informed that 20 percent of salary was awarded when someone was given an additional charge besides many other facilities like official vehicle, adding that the bureaucracy was obliging its own men by giving them additional charge. Acting DG-RDA has been given the additional charge of the said post in May 2008 and then in February 2009 he was given the acting charge of the said post. The S&GAD official sources apprised, According to the defined rules the maximum duration to work as acting MD is three month and then a final extension of another three months. While the six months of the Acting DG had ended on August 17, 2009. Meanwhile, as many as 15 other officials have also been enjoying the benefits and privileges of the additional charge. The post of the Director, Land Development and Estate Management Directorate BPS-19, has been lying vacant for over a year while Assistant Director Architecture, BPS-17, Shuja Ali has been holding the additional charge of the post. Similarly, the post of Director Administration and Finance BPS-19 has also been lying vacant for the last many months while deputy director (admin), BPS-18, Raja Shaukat Mahmood has been given the charge on an additional basis. The post of the Deputy Director (Engineering) BS-18 has also been lying vacant while the Assistant Director (Engineering), BS-17, Rahat Ali Qureshi had been assigned to look after it. Similarly, as many as 13 top slots have also been laying vacant in the civic agency where low cadre officers are working. The DG-RDA, Makeen Shehbaz, while talking to TheNation, said that the advertisement for the vacant posts has been advertised in the national newspapers and soon recruitment would be made as per laws. Documents available with TheNation revealed that on August 2008 the DG-RDA applied for his regular promotion from BPS-19 to BPS-20 (DG) via letter number SO (E-I) 10-7/2005 in S&GAD. But the said department rejected his application via letter number SO(C-1)5-8/99 and asked him to clear a lot of flaws and irregularities regarding his absorption in RDA and previous service. It is worth mention here that in past the RDA used to be headed by retired army officers for the last 15 years on contract basis. When contacted the officials having additional charges, said they had not welcomed the additional charge and it was in fact a stopgap arrangement. Sources in RDA said the stakeholders, especially citizens, co-partners and financers had to face immense problems in the absence of a regular incumbent, adding that a number of issues remained unresolved due to the absence of a regular top official, while the confronting gigantic problems had been multiplying in the absence of a regular incumbent.