The Ministry of Science and Technology has decided to appoint a new head for the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) on a high salary while eliminating several lower-grade positions.
This decision comes despite the federal government’s Rightsizing Committee recommending the transfer of NIO to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs or a university. Sources claim the ministry is seeking to retain control over the institution even after its transfer by appointing a head of its own choosing.
Insiders allege that the move aims to favor a particular candidate.
The ministry has upgraded the Director General (DG) position to the MP-I scale and attributes the change to a recent federal government decision as justification. The new DG will receive a monthly salary exceeding Rs. 965,000. However, to cover the cost of this appointment, the ministry has decided to abolish 11 lower-grade positions, including draftsmen, divers, lab assistants, and other technical and support staff.
This restructuring is expected to save over Rs. 10.2 million per month, which will be used to fund the MP-I scale appointment. Critics argue that cutting these positions could severely impact NIO’s research capabilities and operations.
The decision was made in an urgent meeting of the NIO Board of Directors chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Some board members participated online, and the approval process was fast-tracked.
The summary for hiring an MP-I scale DG has already been sent to the federal government. However, sources within the ministry indicate that the government had already approved either merging or dissolving NIO, raising legal and procedural concerns about the ministry’s move.
According to the Rightsizing Committee’s decision, the ministry does not have the authority to appoint the NIO head, as the organization is now under the administrative control of another department. However, the ministry appears determined to push forward with the appointment, insisting that the federal government’s earlier directive supports the upgrade of the DG position. This has led to speculation that the ministry is maneuvering to maintain influence over NIO despite its formal transfer.
The post Science Ministry Defies Rightsizing Plan to Hire New Department Chief With Huge Salary appeared first on ProPakistani.