PESHAWAR: Officials in all government departments are in a hurry to complete and submit their performance evaluation reports (PERs) ahead of a meeting to be chaired by the chief secretary next Tuesday to discuss the pendency of the production of such documents.

The sources told Dawn on Friday that a meeting of the secretaries committee had been scheduled for Dec 1 (Tuesday) to examine different issues, especially those related to PERs.

They said all government officials had tosubmit their PERs for evaluation at the closing of the year.

The PERs plays a crucial role in the promotion of government employees.

The cases of their due promotion are not entertained if officials don`t have such reportshighlightingyears oftheirservice.

However, a source said thousands of officials had their PERs for many years missing and therefore, they`re confused about how to fix the problem.

He said in his department, 24 senior officials had their PERs for several years missing and that they had been directed to set their records straight without delay.The source said the situation was worse in departments like education with a large number of employees and literally thousands facing the dilemma.

`In every government department, officers have been pushed from pillar to post to get their record straight,` he said.

The source said the issue faced by many government officials was that their reporting officers or countersigning officers were DMGs and now posted out of the province and or had retired.

`It is an issue for many government officials to approach these officials,` he said.

He said a previous reporting officer ofthem had developed a tiff many under his watch and now was not ready to sign their PERs.

`If he does not sign our reports before the meeting, then we have no other recourse as to go to his office and beat him up,` the official added.

Under rules, PERs should be duly filled and dispatched to reporting ofñcer of the concerned department not later than January, 15th. The reporting officer in turn should forward to countersigning officer within two weeks of receipt of after giving their reports. The countersigning officers then have two weeks to finalise their comments on the reports.

All administrative secretaries are countersigning officers for their departments, while chief secretary is reporting officer for the all administrative secretaries, while chief minister was their countersigning officer.

Officials in establishment department also confirmed the exercise was taking place. However, an official said the issue was not a big deal and was a routine matter as every year government officials have to submit these reports.

`Every official must have his PER complete as without this document, he or she can`t get due promotion,` he said, adding that every reporting officer was bound by the rules to sign the reports of his or her subordinates.

The official said even if an officer was transferred to the remotest part of the country, the officials needed not pursue him or her personally and instead, they simply had to mail the relevant forms with an application to them.

`The official is bound to send back the signed document,` he said, adding that it was the job of government employees to update their PERs.