Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 25: In what could be termed as mockery of the rules, the State Government re-employed 140 officers/officials for different duration during the past three years without any ‘plausible and justifiable ground’ thereby putting unnecessary burden on the State exchequer.
According to the official document, a total of 140 officers and employees were re-employed after the date of their retirement or given extension during the past three years for different durations on the ground of administrative exigencies, for smooth conduct of Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections and on the recommendations of the Ministers.
However, it has not been revealed as to how much burden these re-employments and extensions have actually put on the State exchequer.
The document revealed that several Naib Tehsildars were re-employed on the pretext of smooth conduct of Panchayat elections while as several Senior Assistants, Head Assistants, Private Secretaries, Horticulture Technicians, Audit Officers, Block Development Officers and Section Officers were re-employed or given extension on the ground of administrative exigencies.
Interestingly, chauffers and machine operators were also re-engaged on the ground of administrative exigencies while as recommendations of the Ministers have been mentioned as the ground for re-engagement of several other officials and officers. Moreover, several officials were given the benefit of Government service beyond their retirement on the ground that their services were of immense importance for the elections to Urban Local Bodies, which, however, have not been conducted till date and uncertainty still prevails over holding of such polls.
According to the document, an official was re-engaged for assisting the committee for examination of demands of new administrative units but the report of the committee has neither been finalized nor placed before the Cabinet despite being very important issue.
“What sort of administrative exigency could be avoided by re-employing Junior Assistants, Senior Assistants, Naib Tehsildars, Private Secretaries, Head Assistants, Technicians and Audit Officers etc is a million dollar question”, sources in the Civil Secretariat said, adding “if there cannot be any administrative exigency after the change of Chief Secretary, Commissioner Secretaries or Secretaries what sort of constraints in the administration have been overcome by the Government by re-employing 140 officers for different duration during the past three years remains an issue to be pondered upon”.
Holding Ministers and bureaucrats’ interests responsible for re-employment of majority of such officers and officials, sources said, “it seems that comforts and interests of certain Ministers and senior officers have been given the name of administrative exigencies”.
How could Government justify the re-appointment of an official as private secretary to a Minister or Vice-Chairman of Advisory Board by mentioning that the same was done in the interest of the public and for being experienced in the office matters, asked sources, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that instead of referring the vacancies following retirement of officers and officials the Government is re-employing the cherished persons of the Ministers and bureaucrats”.
Among these 140 re-employments and extensions, only few were affected with the approval of the State Cabinet and some others on the directions of the High Court. As per the official records, only two of the 140 officials and officers were re-employed on the basis of excellent performance.
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