CIVIL SERVICE:What are the Functions Performed by the Government?

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Introduction To Public AdministrationMGT111

LESSON 09

CIVIL SERVICE

At the end of the lecture the students will be able to understand:

1. The concept of civil service

2. The structure of civil service in Pakistan at the time of independence.

What is Civil Service?

Civil service has he defined in the Civil Servant Act 1973. But this word also has general meaning as

well, which are that civil means "public" and public are the citizens of a country. By this connotation it

means that civil servants are a group of people who serve public and in that sense civil service is different

from military service.

Words like Public, Civil, and Government are used interchangeably. Officers and officials working

in government organization are all public servants because they draw their salaries from public exchequer.

Recruitment of Public Servants:

The recruitment of civil servants takes place by the following two methods:

1. Public Service Commissions (Federal & Provincial) are constitutionally Grade 15 and above

2. The autonomous organization recruit people directly (test & interview by the organization)

The structure of Federal and provincial Government is as under:-

Provincial Government

Federal Government

Ministries

Department

Division/s

Directorate

Attached Department

Autonomous Bodies

Example: Development Authorities

Public Enterprises

District/Tehsil Office

At the federal level the apex organization is `ministry', for example Ministry of Health and

Population. The ministry is headed by Minister each ministry may have two or more than two divisions.

Divisions are usually also located in Islamabad. Below Division is "attached department". The

administrative control of the department is with the Division which is controlling it. Autonomous bodies

are much independent because, these have their Board of Governors who makes policy decision for the

organization. In this way these are independent administratively.

What are the Functions Performed by the Government?

The government performs these functions:

Maintains Peace

Provides Defence

It collects Revenues and

It Maintains currency

How does it perform these functions? It performs these functions through its representatives i.e.

public servants or civil servant who are paid salary from the government treasury (exchequer). In addition to

these traditional functions modern governments perform many additional functions. These are:

- It provides Utilities (electricity, telephone, gas)

- It maintain Government Accounts

- It maintains Foreign Relations

- It maintains Cantonments

Introduction To Public AdministrationMGT111

It regulates, distributes and allocates goods and services in the society.

The functions of today's government have increased because of following reasons:-

Population that is provided services has increased manifold and hence the nature of problems

social, economic, political and global problems have changed. In fact these have become complex.

The territory of the government has increased in size

Technological improvement and advancement

Because of technological improvement the nature specialization/division of labour has changed

and become more complex

Therefore, in order to perform new functions the governments changed the structure and added

more functions. At the time of independence Pakistan inherited the civil service structure which was laid

out by the East India Company and subsequently modified by the British government to its own

requirement. The structure of the services existing in Pre-partition sub-continent was adopted in Pakistan

with little modifications. The following two categories of the services were maintained.

1. All-Pakistan Services

2. Central Services

All Pakistan Services

Civil Service of Pakistan

Police Service of Pakistan (IPS)

(Descendent of ICS)

1. The All Pakistan Services: The all Pakistan Service was descendent of All-India Services. The All

Pakistan Service was created in Pakistan. It comprised Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) and the

Police Service of Pakistan (PSP). Officers of these services served under central as well as the

provincial governments. Officers when served under the Provincial Government were controlled

by Provincial Government concerned but the basic control remained with centre.

2. Civil Services of Pakistan (CSP): The CSP in Pakistan was the descendent of the Indian Civil

Service (ICS) in India. At the time of independence It consisted of: Former ICS officers, Officers

who served in World War 2, and Finance service officers and Officers selected by Competitive

Examination held in 1949 & 1950

3. Police Service of Pakistan (PSP): The PSP in Pakistan was the same as Indian Police Service

(IPS) in sub-continent. At the time of partition it consisted of those officers who opted for

Pakistan. The posts held by PSP officers included Inspectors-Generals, Superintendents, Deputy

Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents etc. Most of the PSP officers served under Provincial

Government.

4. Central Services: Like the Central Services before partition the Central Services in Pakistan were

controlled by Central government. Before the Administrative Reforms (1973), there were 13

Central Services which are discussed below:-

i. Pakistan Foreign Services (PFS): The PFS offices are officers working diplomatic

missions abroad. In the beginning, specialized duties were also performed by PFS officers.

But separate services were constituted which met the requirements for specialized jobs in

foreign missions.

Introduction To Public AdministrationMGT111

ii. Accounts Services: These services included the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service

(PAAS), Pakistan Military Accounts Service (PMAS) and Pakistan Railway Accounts Service

(PRAS).

The officers belonging to the services held post pertaining to finance and accounts ministries. The

offices included ministries, attached departments, subordinate offices, corporations etc. As financial

advisors, accountant-general, auditors-general etc

iii. Pakistan Customs and Excise Services (PCES): These were formally formed in 1959. It

was the combination of Sea Customs Service and Central Land Customs and Excise Services.

The posts included Assistant Collector, Deputy Collector and the posts with corresponding

status in CBR.

iv. Pakistan Taxation Service: It consisted of junior officers promoted from provincial and

class II services on ad-hoc basis. In 1957, it was upgraded to class I status. It held posts of

commissioner of income tax, deputy commissioner of income tax, income tax officer etc.

v. Pakistan Military & Land Cantonment Service: Officers of this service were appointed as

cantonment Executive offices and were in-charge of maintenance and control of lands within

the cantonment areas as well as the local governments.

vi. Pakistan Postal Service: It was constituted by combining: Pakistan Postal Service and

Telegraph Traffic Service. Telegraph Engineering Service. In 1965, the Telegraph Service was

separated.

vii. Trade Service of Pakistan: It was created to meet the requirements in commercial fields in

Pakistan and in missions abroad. This cadre was formally constituted in 1970.

viii. Information Service of Pakistan (ISP): It was formed in 1963 for posts requiring

journalistic qualifications for appointments in Pakistan and in foreign missions.

ix. Economic Pool: In 1950, an economic pool was constituted. Its officers were drawn from

CSP and from accounts and finance services. However, it was not made a regularly

constituted service. The other services were:

x. Central Secretariat Services.

xi. General Administrative Service.

Conclusions

What we conclude is that the service structure of the colonial period was adopted. The political

situation of the country did not permit to review the structure. The structure that was inherited more biased

towards maintaining law and order, the structure was not geared towards the development of the new

country.

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