Punjab Study

Lahore: January 23:THE Higher Education Department Punjab has moved a summary to the chief minister seeking posting of a DMG officer as chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore, it is learnt.

If approved, the moved will be first ever regular posting of an officer from the District Management Group (DMG) as chairman of any BISE in Punjab as the post is meant for the candidates from school or college cadre. It is pertinent to mention here that a senior DMG officer, Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, who is secretary of Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Department Punjab, is holding additional charge of the BISE chairman.

Sources said the name of recently appointed Punjab Food Safety and Standards Authority Director General Muhammad Asad Islam Mahni has been recommended for the post after a high powered search committee failed to find any suitable candidate. Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik was given additional charge of BISE chairman following the result fiasco which had brought a widespread condemnation for the Punjab government. The sources further said that Dr Malik had expressed concerns over the prolonged stay at the board with additional charge and wanted to discontinue with a view to focus his responsibilities as secretary Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Department. A senior official of the department, seeking anonymity, said that if the CM did not approve name of Mr Mahni as BISE Lahore chairman, the department would move another summary and this time names of some officers serving the Higher Education Department at present would be recommended in the form of a panel of suitable candidates. It is also important to mention here that a high-powered committee, formed by the Punjab government, had interviewed a number of candidates, almost all of them from the school and college side in December 2011 but could not find any suitable person for the key slot. Unlike the past, a very short number of candidates have applied for the post and a major reason behind the low response is the recent result fiasco which undoubtedly made the post more challenging and demanding.

Over the years, it has been observed that aspirants of such coveted posts used their political connections not just to get posted but also to get extended their tenure. A number of teacher associations, both from school and college side, have been expressing concern at the possible move of appointing a DMG officer against the post and had announced on various occasions that they would strongly oppose any such posting.The news.