Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 29: While many junior most officials are ruling the roost and offered the district level posts in the Geology and Mining Department, scores of seniors and Grade-I Gazetted officers have been made to sit idle.
Official sources told the Excelsior that in Jammu region out of the 10 districts, in seven districts junior officers of Grade-III have been placed as Incharge District Mineral Officers (DMOs), while many M.Tech and even PhD and Class-I Gazetted officers are made to sit idle in the Drilling and Investigation and other wings of the Department.
About 40 Class-I Gazetted officers including senior Geologists and Drilling Engineers are available with the department but many blue -eyed persons having nexus with the powerful illegal mining mafia have been offered the prime postings. Even some of them have been made I/C DMOs for which they are not competent and eligible.
It is amazing to note that despite the observations and instructions of the Commissioner/ Secretary Industries and Commerce, Shailendra Kumar during a review meeting of the department at Udyog Bhawan Jammu on April 23, 2016 in presence of Deputy Secretary, Director G&M, Senior Drilling Engineers Jammu/ Kashmir and other staff, nothing has been done in this direction.
The Commissioner, who was unhappy with the massive leakage of revenue and loss to Govt exchequer, had also suggested measures to plug the leakage and utilize the services of senior officers sitting idle in the Drilling wing, in the districts for operationalising District Mineral offices but the influential `grey gold mafia’ having sufficient control on key officers in the department continued to manage the show causing loss of revenue worth tens of cores to the State exchequer.
Sources said that one of the diploma holder Drilling Engineer is sitting on one post for the last about 15 years. Even after being promoted once, he is occupying the same chair and same office. He is allegedly managing the postings of the district level officials and even the revenue collection staff of the department at various points of different river blocks.
The recent transfers of just two DMOs of Kathua and Udhampur was just an eyewash and cosmetic exercise, on the part of concerned Minister and the Head of Department on the `plea’ to control leakage of revenue. Inspite of taking effective steps, the people at the helm of affairs have given extension of mining activity up to March 2017, which indicated that sufficient opportunity has been given to the people for the loot and plunder of ‘river mineral’ and State exchequer.
Referring to the placing of junior officers at higher posts , the sources revealed that in district Jammu, a junior official of the rank of Junior Overman is holding the post of District Mineral Officer. Only one employee of the rank of Supervisor has been given the charge of two districts Kishtwar and Doda as I/C DMO.
In Rajouri, an official of the rank of Mineral Supervisor has been offered the post of DMO; in Reasi, Junior Overman is working as I/C DMO whereas, in Poonch also, a Chemist/ Non-Gazetted has been placed as DMO. Not only in Jammu division, but in Kashmir region also, over 70 % of the posts of district cadre have been occupied by the junior most blue eyed officials.
Director (officiating), G&M Samiullah when contacted admitted that many non-gazetted officers are holding the posts of DMOs in the State. He said that during the meeting in Jammu in April this year, the Commissioner/ Secretary had no doubt pointed out certain issues related to leakage of revenue and utilising the services of idle sitting officers but the department is taking all out efforts in this direction. He said the issue related to reorganization of the department had also came under discussion.
“We are working on that and it may take some time. But it is also important to place the officials having knowledge about the mining activity and laws related to that. Suitable persons are needed for this job. We require the services of Geologists in Investigation wing and there is no doubt that drilling activity has been reduced and mining activity increased with lot of constructions around every where. We require more staff for such activity in the districts and it will also help in increasing revenue,” the Director said.
When asked about seizure of seven JCBs about a week back from Tawi river under Block 4, indulging in illegal mining and inaction by the DMO Jammu and his staff, the Director said, the DMO is vested with full powers to act and he is supposed to do it. Any illegal activity of mining is needed to be curbed. Regarding pilferage of revenue, he said there is shortage of staff and more people are needed to be deployed at various river points. He assured that necessary steps will be taken in this regard.
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