Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 31: In what could be a clear indication of Government promoting adhocism at various levels of civil administration for obvious reasons, over 160 officers have been holding the additional charge of different posts in various departments during the past several years. On the other hand, nearly 200 posts of KAS/District Officers have been lying vacant across the State thereby indicating that administration was functioning on the ‘crutches’.
According to the official data, a total of 163 officers have been holding additional charge of different posts during the period ranging between one year and nearly10 years but the Government has not found any via-media to place permanent incumbents on the posts being held additionally by such a large number of officers.
Though functioning of a total of 21 departments at various levels is being managed on adhoc arrangements, the situation is worst in Labour and Employment and Rural Development Departments, where 29 and 17 officers respectively have been holding the additional charge of different posts. Some of the officers in Labour and Employment Department have been handling the additional affairs during the past six years but those at the helm of affairs never found it appropriate to put a full stop on the adhoc arrangements practice.
In the Agriculture Production Department, 13 officers have been holding the additional charge during the past one to three years. One of these officers is holding the additional charge of an important post since 2003 but still Government has not decided to relieve him of the additional assignment.
Five veterinary doctors have been holding the additional charge in the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department while as 13 officers of the Cooperative Department of the rank of Joint Registrar, Deputy Registrar, District Audit Officer have been handling the additional charge during the period ranging between one to three years.
In the Planning and Development Department, which is the nerve centre of all the developmental activities in the State, 14 officers have been given the additional charge of different posts. Some of them have been handling additional assignments during the past six years. Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, which is considered as an important wing of the Government and directly connected with people from the Below Poverty Line section to affluent one, has given additional charge of important assignments to nine officers.
In the School Education Department, two officers have been given additional charge while as four officers have been given additional charge in Finance Department. In Forest Department, the number of officers handling the additional charge of various posts has been worked out at three. Six officers in the Home Department including two of the rank of SP and Additional SP have been holding the additional charge while as six officers have been managing the additional assignments in the Industries and Commerce Department.
As far as Handloom Development and Handicraft Departments are concerned, 13 officers have been assigned the additional charge of different posts while as three officers of Information Department have been given additional charge.
Eleven officers in PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, three each in R&B, Revenue and Science and Technology, six in Tourism and one in Transport Department have been holding the additional charge.
In another example of administration functioning on crutches, 197 posts of KAS/District Officers have been lying vacant across the State.
According to the available data, five District Level posts of Animal/Sheep Husbandry Department, 12 of Cooperative, 8 of CAPD, 4 of Culture, two of School Education, 7 of Finance, one of Forest, 9 of Home Department, 16 of Industries and Commerce, four of Handicrafts, 11 of Handloom Development, 28 of Information, 22 of Labour and Employment, 7 of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, 15 of Planning and Development Department, 7 of Public Works, 19 of Rural Development Department, 4 of Science and Technology, four of Tourism and 7 of Transport Department have been lying vacant.
Follow our WhatsApp channel