*CM’s intervention only option to end bureaucratic hiccups
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 1: Contrary to the repeated thrust of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on effective coordination between different departments on vital issues, the General Administration, Finance, Planning and Rural Development Departments are at daggers drawn over creation of 177 posts of Panchayat Inspectors and filling up of nearly 79 posts of Block Development Officers (BDOs) during the past quite long time. Due to lack of consensus, not only people are being deprived of timely services but the monitoring of developmental schemes is also suffering badly.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on the recommendations of Cabinet Sub-Committee, a total of 177 new CD blocks were created by the Government vide Order No.222-RD&PR dated July 23, 2014. Moreover, 1239 new posts for the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department were created in the same month to ensure smooth functioning of these administrative units.
Though one post each of Block Development Officer, Assistant Accounts Officer, Section Officer Planning, Assistant Engineer and Junior Assistant and two posts of Class IV were created yet no post of Panchayat Inspector was created in any of these 177 blocks despite the fact that Panchayat Inspectors are vital link between the BDO and Panchayat Halqas for ensuring holistic development of the latter.
As Panchayat Inspectors are considered as backbone of the CD blocks and provide strong support system to the Panchayats to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively, the non-creation of these posts was found as grave error by the Rural Development Department and accordingly it was decided to rectify the same by approaching the Planning and Finance Departments and finally the Cabinet, sources informed.
“A number of times the proposal was taken up in the Cabinet in this regard by the Rural Development Depart-ment but for want of concurrence of Finance and Planning Departments the same was turned down by the highest decision making body of the State”, sources said, adding “during the past quite long time the Rural Development Department is seeking concurrence of the Finance and Planning Departments to the creation of 177 posts of Panchayat Inspectors but consensus is eluding”.
Due to this, not only vital link between Government and Panchayats has remained missing in 177 CD blocks but same is also depriving lower rung officials of the benefits of promotion to the posts of Panchayat Inspectors. The prevailing situation is also creating impediments in filling up of posts of Block Development Officers through promotional quota as Grade-I Panchayat Inspectors are entitled for promotion as BDO, sources said.
Similarly, the General Administrative Department is sleeping over the vacancies of the BDOs referred by the Department of Rural Development for filling by appointing KAS officers, sources regretted, adding “whenever the issue of non-availability of BDOs in 79 CD blocks is raised in any forum it is stated that these vacancies will be filled shortly through the GAD as well as recruiting agency but actually no positive development has taken place in this regard during the past quite long time”.
“The functioning of all these 79 CD blocks is being managed through ad hoc arrangements for want of permanent BDOs”, sources said, adding “the situation is worst in far-off and hilly areas as one BDO is compelled to travel huge distance to reach another block to address the grievances of the people”.
How one BDO can effectively monitor the developmental works particularly under various flagship schemes of the Union Government in two or more blocks is a million dollar question, sources said, adding “the inordinate delay in creation of posts of Panchayat Inspectors and filling up of vacant posts of Block Development Officers has exposed the tall claims of the present dispensation about laying required focus on ensuring holistic development of the rural areas”.
“As General Administra-tion, Planning, Finance and Rural Development Departm-ents are at daggers drawn over creation and filling up of vital posts the intervention of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is the only option otherwise bureaucratic hiccups will continue to prevail”, sources said, adding “she is required to issue clear instructions to all these departments for arriving at consensus without wasting more time”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel