KARACHI: All secretaries/additional secretaries In charge of ministries/divisions in Islamabad/ Rawalpindi are reminded for clarification about look after charge syndrome. 

According to informed sources number of instances have come to notice of Establishment Division where ministries/divisions have been found indulging in practice of assigning look after charge of higher post to an officer during absence its actual incumbent which causes administrative/financial inconvenience.  In this context it was clarified that there is no provision of look after charge in Civil Servants Act, 1973 and Rules made there under, rather an officer can be deputed temporarily as an internal arrangement to look after work of another post for disposal of day to day work of urgent and routine nature in ministry/division/organisation concerned.    As matter of principle, senior most officer is normally asked by head of division/department to look after work of post when its incumbent is temporarily away. Regarding decision making process, there may be certain issues which are of quasi-judicial nature and decision cannot be taken by an officer not formally designated to exercise those powers.  Likewise, certain financial and administrative powers can only be exercised by an officer to whom additional/ current charge of post is entrusted in prescribed manner.

An officer looking after work cannot exercise such powers as he has not been delegated with such powers by competent authority. As regards day to day decisions, these can be taken by an officer looking after work and can also be reviewed/revised by head of organisation depending upon merit of case.    Hence, all ministries/divisions were requested to disseminate above position to all departments/officers under their administrative control, sources added.