Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 2: The Assembly Committee on Subordinate Legislation has passed severe strictures against the performance and functioning of various Government departments in the State.
Expressing its grave concern over adhocism being adopted in the Rural Development Department (RDD) in posting of VLWs as BDOs , the Committee has suggested that the same be put to an end so that the capable people could be posted against the available posts for smooth functioning of the Department as well as judicious and proper utilization of funds received by it from Central Government.
In its report for the year 2013-14 tabled in the State Assembly recently, the Committee observed that failure of the Department to frame relevant rules in pursuance of the Acts pertaining to them and passed before quite long time have proved an obstacle in the effective implementation of these acts and resulted into a grave mess in the Department.
The Committee, while castigating the Department has maintained that in absence of proper mechanism the good results can’t be expected and the officers working in the Department from last many years have been deprived of the promotions this way.
The Assembly panel also took the Department to task for not covering large aspects of drought, flood management in rural areas which was considered to be more important than those of constructing lanes and drains under the said scheme.
Taking the Department to task, the Panel in its report has said that the field work was not being done to the satisfaction of people. It urged the Department to adopt some coercive measures to check the menace.
‘The Committee expressed its displeasure over the failure of the Department in finalizing the seniority list of Executive Engineers, which was initially issued in the year 2006 denying the further promotion prospects to the incumbents who were working on adhoc arrangements in their own pay and grade.
Passing strictures against the Home Department, the Committee urged it to consider the service rendered by an SPO for his regularization in Police and stressed on clearing all the pending cases under SRO 43. The Committee in its recommendations urged the Department that each and every organization of the Police Department should fame rules according to the prevailing situations besides replacing the old and obsolete ones.
In its recommendations to Fire and Emergency Services, the House Penal suggested that a team of medical staff be deployed in each and every fire fighting station to meet the incidents of burn injuries during the fire fighting operations.
The Committee has also expressed its anguish against the Social Welfare Department while going through the rules pertaining to Backward Classes Commission. In its findings the Committee has come to know that some of the areas which qualify for declaring as Backward but were ignored. To the contrary, some of the areas which with passage of time have fully developed but still continue to be Backward as they were not excluded from the lists.
It recommended that the Sub Section 2 of Section 11 of the Backward Classes Act be amended to grant more powers to the Commission. It also suggested that the Commission should get the status of backward areas get verified from the concerned DCs.
While commenting on the functioning of Public Works Department, the Committee observed that the Department has not made any progress in drafting the relevant rules so fat and urged it to draft the same after thorough examination.
While examining the Subordinate Service Rules, 1981 pertaining to the Electricity Department, the Committee opined that these rules were framed over three decades before which don’t meet the present requirements in the context of recruitment and promotion of the staff. The Committee urged the Department redraft the rules.
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