ISLAMABAD: Top positions of more than one dozen companies of the power division are currently lying vacant and being looked after on ad-hoc basis by their senior officials and the federal cabinet has taken note of these existing vacancies.
According to documents, top positions of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)/Managing Directors (MDs) of LPGCL (Lakhra Power Generation Company Limited), AEDB (Alternative Energy Development Board), Power Holding Private Limited (PHPL), National Power Parks Management Company Limited (NPPMCL), Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company (TESCO), Power Information Technology Company (PITC), Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Central Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL), Genco Holding Company Limited (GHCL), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO), Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC)/Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO)Â are currently lying vacant and the senior officials have been assigned to look after the charge while these top lucrative positions to some extent have been not filled from the open market.
Sources said that the Secretary, Power Division, in a meeting of the federal cabinet, had presented details of existing vacant positions under power division and the federal cabinet took note of the existing vacancies under the power division and also directed that the status of existing vacancies of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)/Managing Directors (MDs) under the commerce division and information & Broadcasting Divisions be furnished and presented to the cabinet.
As per details, the top position of LPGCL (Lakhra GENCO-VI) has never been filled from open market and the reasons for not filling the post so far was due to planned closure/retirement of the plant as per decision of the CCoE dated 10-09-2020 ratified by the cabinet on 22-09-2020, the appointment of the CEO is not intended because all plants of the company are already de-licensed.
Similarly, the top post of AEDB is lying vacant since 12-01-2021 mainly due to merger of AEDB with PPIB, the process initiated for the position of CEO AEDB was halted and the said process is not deemed to be processed ahead. The cabinet has approved this course of action on 13-07-2021. The CCLC has approved the draft bill for merger on 210-10-2021.
Important position of the head of PHPL has never been filled from open market. PHPL is a very small organization with very limited functions. The market based appointment is not deemed cost effective by this division (power).
The position of CEO NPPMCL is also vacant since 03-09-2018 due to start of privatization of NPPMCL, the cabinet decided on 18-05-2021 that Dhanpat Kotak, an employee of NPPMCL to continue to look as CEO.
Likewise, the post of CEO/MD of MEPCO has never been filled from open market. The look-after charge has been assigned to a senior officer. At present, the panel has been submitted to ministry (energy). The summary will be submitted to the cabinet once stay ordered by the high court is vacated. The reason for not filling the top position post of MEPCO so far is restraining order against taking the final decision by the Punjab High Court. The Law Division has been informed with a copy to Prime Minister Office.
The post of CEO/MD, QESCO has never been filled from open market and the look after charge has been assigned to the senior officer. A process for the appointment had been initiated but the Balochistan High Court has issued orders not to appoint CEO in a case challenging the process. The Law Division has been informed with a copy to Prime Minister Office.
The post of CEO/MD of TESCO has never been filled from open market. The look after charge has been assigned to the senior officer. At present, due diligence by the BoD is under process after which TESCO was to submit the panel to the line ministry by end October 2021. So far, the post could not be filled and the appointment was delayed due to re-constitution of the new TESCO Board.
The post of CEO/MD of PITC has never been filled from open market and the look-after charge has been assigned to the senior officer. BoD PITC submitted a panel of three candidates for the appointment of CEO PITC. The case was pended awaiting re-constitution of the new PITC Board. The Board has recently been re-constituted. It will re-evaluate the candidates and then submit a panel in a month’s time. The appointment has been delayed due to re-constitution of the PITC Board.
The post of CEO/MD, FESCO is vacant since 24-02-2014 and the look-after charge has been assigned to the senior officer. At present, the summary has been submitted for consideration of the cabinet. The court initially stayed the process then ordered (dated 01-06-2021) for re-advertisement of the post of CEO which delayed the process.
The post of CEO/MD of CPGCL (Guddu) is vacant since 13-04-2021 and the look-after charge was given to CEO, NPGCL by the board which is being got ratified by the cabinet. At present, the board has completed the process and conveyed a panel of three candidates to the power division. The summary for the new appointment has been submitted for consideration. The appointment was delayed due to high court decision dated 18-05-2021.
The incumbent CEO, GHCL has been allowed to continue looking after the work of CEO GHCL till appointment of the regular incumbent by the cabinet in its meeting held on 13-04-2021. The appointment was delayed due to high court decision dated 18-05-2021. Now the supreme court vide its short order 08-09-2021 with direction to fix the next date preferably after three months has suspended the judgment passed by the high court . The process has been re-initiated. The appointment was delayed due to high court decision dated 18-05-2021/pendency of the case in the Supreme Court.
The post of CEO/MD of GEPCO has never been filled from open market. The look after charge has been assigned to a senior officer. The process has to be re-initiated, the advertisement is under consideration by GEPCO Board. The court initially stayed the process then ordered (dated 01-06-2021) for re-advertisement of the post of CEO which delayed the process. Later, a panel was submitted to ministry of energy. The candidates at merit No.1 and 2 in the panel were already appointed as CEO, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and under an inquiry respectively. The candidate at merit No.3 was not deemed appropriate since he does not hold good reputation. Since the panel was incomplete, the BoD GEPCO is re-initiating the process afresh.
The post of MD, NESPAK is vacant since 12-07-2021 and Dr Tahir Masood, the incumbent MD NESPAK has been allowed the look after charge till appointment of the regular MD, NJESPAK. At present, due diligence by the BoD is under process while the reason for not filling the post so far is that the process has been delayed due to court decision dated 04-06-2021 on short listing and also due to late response from the organizations concerned for due diligence.
The post of CEO/MD, Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) has never been filled from open market and the look after charge has been assigned to the senior officer. The interview by the Board for alternate candidates was scheduled in the first week of November 2021. Since the panel was incomplete, the Board has been advised to submit complete panel to the ministry after reassessment/re-initiating process.
The post of CEO/MD, Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) is vacant since 02-06-2020. The cabinet has allowed look after charge to Wasim Mukhtar, Additional Secretary, Power Division. The interview process by the board will be completed by 31-10-2021. The process has been undertaken twice by the board, but the same was scrapped. The BoD CPPA-G has initiated the process afresh which is at interview stage.
Furthermore, the post of CEO/MD, Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC)/Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) has never been filled from open market. The look-after charge has been allowed to Musaddiq Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary, Power Division. The post has been advertised in national dailies on 24-10-2021. The recruitment process will be completed by 31-01-2022. Due to restructuring of PEPCO which has now been approved by CCoE on 08-10-2021 and to be ratified by the cabinet, said documents.
