*No official posted as MD JKSPDC since March last yr
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 1: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about re-energizing the bureaucratic set-up for better performance, additional charge syndrome continued to prevail at senior positions in the State bureaucracy thereby affecting the output of the officers. This can be gauged from the fact that permanent officers have not been posted on several key posts during the past several months and presently these posts are being manned by making ad hoc arrangements.
Within few months after the formulation of PDP-BJP Coalition Government, it was stated officially that for the better results in the administration the present dispensation will frame a special mechanism to fight the additional charge syndrome, which will not only ease out pressure on the bureaucrats but also ensure better performance.
However, neither such a mechanism was framed nor steps were initiated to bring an end to the management of affairs of several departments by adopting adhoc approach as many key posts in the bureaucracy are lacking permanent officers. What to talk of posts of Administrative Secretaries or Heads of the Departments the ad hoc approach has also been adopted towards two important Appellate Authorities of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ever since the appointment of B R Sharma as Chief Secretary of the State in the month of September 2015, no officer has been posted as Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department and the charge of this post is still with the Chief Secretary.
The post of Financial Commissioner Revenue (an Appellate Authority) fell vacant following transfer and posting of senior IAS Officer Arun Kumar as Director General of Institute of Management and Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD) in the month of September 2015. However, for nearly a month no officer was appointed as Financial Commissioner Revenue.
Thereafter, vide Government Order No.1386-GAD dated October 19, 2015 the charge of Financial Commissioner Revenue was given to R K Goyal, Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department and till date this adhoc arrangement is continuing due to the failure of the Government to make regular posting on this vital post, sources said.
Vide this order, Shailendra Kumar was shifted from the post of Commissioner/ Secretary, Tourism Department and posted as Commissioner/ Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department. He was also given the additional charge of the post of Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Labour and Employment Department and the same arrangement is still continuing despite lapse of more than two months.
The post of Chairman of J&K Special Tribunal (also an Appellate Authority) is also being managed by making ad hoc arrangement as following superannuation of senior IAS officer Sonali Kumar, the charge of the post of Chairman was given to R K Gupta, Principal Secretary to Government, Forest Department vide Government Order No.1541 dated December 15, 2015.
Similarly, Farooq Ahmad Shah, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation is looking after the work of Administrative Secretary, Tourism Department in addition to his own duties since August 2015.
The intensity of the additional charge syndrome can further be gauged from the fact that no officer has been posted as Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation since March last year. Earlier, the then Principal Secretary Power Development Department, Sundeep Kumar Nayak held the additional charge of the Managing Director JKSPDC and following his transfer as Principal Secretary, Relief and Rehabilitation, the Government vide Order No.1443 dated November 10, 2015 gave the additional charge of MD JKSPDC to present Principal Secretary, PDD, Dheeraj Gupta.
Similarly, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control, Jammu, Rajeev Gandotra is holding the charge of the post of Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering Jammu during the past several months. The post of Chief Engineer, PHE had fallen vacant in the month of July last year when the then Chief Engineer, Prem Nath was given compulsory retirement after being declared as deadwood.
“This is the position at the level of Administrative Secretaries, Heads of the Appellate Authorities and Head of the Departments and there are numerous posts at various other levels which are also being managed by making adhoc arrangements”, sources said, adding “these instances have proved the announcements with regard to re-energizing bureaucratic set-up for better performance as hollow”.
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