Administratively, the authority is being run on two parallel systems

ISLAMABAD-The civil servant cadre officials of Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) showed resentment and set row against regulatory officers (RO) on departmental discrimination in promotions and salaries, The Nation learnt on Thursday.
Officials informed The Nation that BPS officers hired through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) after the establishment of the DRAP have expressed serious concerns over promotions and perks and privileges being awarded to ROs hired through National Testing Service (NTS) later.
Administratively, DRAP is being run on two parallel systems of civil servants and ROs. Currently, nearly 80 per cent of the authority is comprised of civil servants while 20 per cent are ROs.
Officials informed The Nation that during the time of exercising RO set-up in 2016, attractive financial benefits for the employees opting RO cadre were not offered.
But soon after the implementation, the graph of perks and privileges of ROs progressed suddenly, while civil servants kept waiting for promotions.
The documents available with The Nation said an assistant director inducted through FPSC after seven years service is taking Rs85,999 salary, while RO hired through NTS with two-year service is taking Rs137,956 salary.
Official said that DRAP appointed 100 assistant directors and 7 deputy directors by allegedly relaxing the passing criteria in NTS test from 50 percent to 40 percent, while the civil servants who passed the test with 50 percent were later disqualified in interviews.
The Auditor General of Pakistan had also mentioned Rs404 million irregularities in terms of pay and allowances and had recommended the recovery and fixation of the responsibility.
“PM Assistance Package for deceased civil servants has also not been implemented to three of civil employees families who died during service despite the directions of Ombudsman and President,” official said.
Official said that number of officers has completed the required length of services for promotion in higher scale, but the cases were not processed.
The documents said a six member committee comprising Additional Secretary Ministry of National Health Services, Additional Secretary Ministry of Law, Director Establishment Division, Deputy Secretary Finance Division, Deputy Secretary NHS and Director Admin DRAP was also formed in July 2018 to address discrimination of civil servants regarding promotion and financial benefits.
The documents said the committee sent the recommendations of all relevant departments to DRAP on November 6, 2018 urging it to implement recommendations and send the promotion cases of civil servants for consideration of DPC, DSB and CSB.
“No case of any civil servant has been sent to ministry of NHS by DRAP for promotion so far, meanwhile, ROs are being promoted,” official said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) DRAP, Asim Rauf responding to The Nation said all promotion cases following the recommendations of the committee will be decided in next two months.
Regarding discrimination in service benefits of civil servants and ROs, he said that it was matter of the choice to opt or not RO system for employees.
“Many of the perks and privileges which civil servants enjoy, ROs don’t have e.g pension funds,” he said.