PHPA I: The two candidates, shortlisted for the post of chief environment officer of Punatsangchhu I hydroelectric power authority (PHPA I) some four months ago, were confused when they saw the post re-advertised once again this month.

The two candidates, both senior forestry officials, were shortlisted by the economic affairs ministry’s human resource division some time in September last year.

Of the four, two were shortlisted and told that they would be contacted soon after.  When they called in later, they were told some formalities were not yet complete.

“Now the project has again advertised the post with the same criteria and requirements, which we don’t understand,” one of the candidates said.

Candidates applying for the post required a minimum qualification of a master’s or bachelor’s in forestry environment or management, with at least 15 years of experience at P1 level.

The earlier vacancy announcement came from the economic affairs ministry’s human resource division in September first week.

MoEA’s human resource officer said that their task ended with the shortlisting. “The selection process will be done by the PHPA management as per PHPA requirement and selection criteria,” the official said. “We shortlist civil servants at the chief level for secondment.”

The project authority re-advertised the post earlier this month.

While the economic affairs ministry’s vacancy was for in-service civil servants only, the project authority’s recent posting extended to private employees for contract employment.

This time civil servants were to submit their applications directly to the project’s personnel section and not to the ministry.

Kuensel learnt that the economic affairs minister, Norbu Wangchuk, who is also the project authority’s chairman, instructed the management to seek more applicants to make the post competitive.

“With two short listed candidates, it would be difficult to do the selection, and the minimum requirement is also three candidates, which we’ve been maintaining,” a project official said.

But the candidates disputed the rule, saying that the former chief environment officer in the project was selected from two shortlisted candidates.

“As far as we know, the recruitment rule says that the post would be re-advertised if there’s only one candidate,” one of them said.

However, the applications of the two shortlisted candidates remain valid for selection.

The chief environment officer’s pay scale is Nu 29,840-745-48,465 for three years, with 30 percent housing allowance, if not provided project housing, 25 percent project allowance, 30 percent deputation allowance, and 20 percent Punatsangchhu allowances at basic pay.

By Tshering Palden

Advertisement