Officers from 25 civil service cadres are planning to launch tougher programs soon in response to the "discriminatory behavior" of officials from the administration cadre.
This announcement was made in a press release by the "Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council (ICDEC)," on Wednesday, after observing the second day of their pen-down strike.
According to the statement, in protest against the discriminatory suspension and departmental actions taken against officials of various cadres by the administration cadre, pen-down programs were held in offices across the country on Wednesday, just like the previous day.
"In response to the Council’s call, officials from 25 civil service cadres under the Council observed this two-day program from 9am to 12pm across various government offices," the statement said.
The statement further added that in recent times, members of the administration cadre have engaged in physical altercations, rallies, and showdowns inside ministries. "They even issued ultimatums to the Reform Commission."
The statement continued: "These incidents have sparked widespread discussions on social media, leading to online clashes between members of the administration cadre and those of the remaining 25 cadres. As a result of such online exchanges, 12 members from the 25 other cadres were temporarily suspended. Despite reassurances from various government bodies, the issue has remained unresolved for a long time.
"Moreover, recent steps have been taken to initiate departmental action against several individuals. Meanwhile, no punitive measures have been taken against members of the administration cadre despite their violation of government rules and regulations."
The Council pointed out that the report presented by the Public Administration Reform Commission lacks recommendations to ensure corruption-free public service.
"Instead, it contains biased proposals that serve the group interests of a specific cadre. For instance, the report proposes dissolving the District Councils, upgrading the rank of the deputy commissioners (DCs), giving them magistracy powers, and designating them as the heads of districts," the statement said.
It added: "The Council believes that in any democratic society, no government official should be considered the head of a geographical area. Instead, the District Councils should be strengthened and empowered, with elected public representatives acting as the chief coordinators of the district."
The statement further said: "Additionally, the report from the Public Administration Reform Commission has intentionally created complications in cadres like health, education, statistics, postal services, family planning, customs, and taxation. It proposes reserving 50% quota in the deputy secretary pool for the administration cadre, and filling the remaining 50% through exams from the other 25 cadres — a suggestion the Council deems contradictory to the spirit of the July uprising."
The council condemned these decisions, which were made without any consultation with them, and have taken up various programs in protest.
Although discussions with the government are ongoing, the Council says it is being forced to take action against the biased and oppressive behavior of the administration cadre.
"Despite commitments made during negotiations, those promises have not been reflected in reality, leading to widespread dissatisfaction. If the issues remain unresolved, the officials will plan to launch even tougher programs in the near future," the statement concluded.
