Sir,
In reference to the news item,” Govt to create new Deptts,……..controls ” DE Dec 14, 2018. I would like to mention here that it is a belated but very good step towards administrative reforms. To my knowledge and experience there are a number of departments which have been created with the main objective to grant promotions to some blue eyed persons only. Accordingly,a number of posts which are being made rudundant sometimes act as hurdles in the paths of administration. Sometimes, there are projects which get overlapped in the sense that the same are executed by more than two departments.
For example, there are many departments undertaking the projects of plantation and soil conservation work including, Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development Department and Forest Department. Similarly, there are some departments which are sincure in nature and act like parasites on state exchequer. Hence merger of departments to create new departments is a right step towards administrative reforms.
I would like to suggest that there are some other departments which need either to be abolished or be merged with the allied departments. For example, the Department of Horticulture Planning and Marketing has hardly any justification for its existence as an independent department. It needs to be merged with the department of agriculture/horticulture with the joint directors at divisional level and assistant director at district level.
Further, the department of rural development needs also to be redefined and revamped. Being concerned with all aspects of rural life, it should either be merged with agriculture and allied departments or the department of agriculture and horticulture should be merged with this department. The concept of rural development is very wide enough to include all aspects of rural development including agriculture, horticulture, sericulture, apiculture, and so on. Similarly, the department of animal husbandry,sheep husbandry, and associated wings should be merged into one department of animal husbandry.
Besides, the handicrafts and industry can be merged and the Department of Labour can be merged with the Department of Social Welfare. It would be appropriate to invite the suggestions from the interested experienced persons so that no stone is left unturned in introducing administrative reforms in the state government before the return of politicians to power.
O P Sharma
Bagnoti, Nowshera
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