Manpower Shortage Hits Key Govt Departments In Chenab Valley MOHD MAJID MALIK BHADERWAH,JULY26--- Several key departments and institutions in Bhaderwah constituency are facing acute shortage of manpower because of which their performance has been affected adversely and implementation of ambitious schemes has been impeded. The situation has come handy for the authorities to make back-door appointments in violation of relevant service rules and in a majority of cases fix square pegs in round holes.According to sources , more than 500 positions at various levels are lying vacant at present in the Information and Public Relations, Rural Development and Revenue departments and civic bodies at Bhaderwah and Bhalessa . Admitting 40 posts of block development VLWs ,JEs and Supervisors were lying vacant at Bhaderwah ,Thatri and Bhalessa , the minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Vikar Rasool Wani when contacted said the problem would be solved as soon as possible .Quoting sources, reports said the Information and Public Relations Department faced an acute shortage of staff for a long time. The situation is likely to worsen in the next couple of years as dozens officials in gazetted and non-gazetted cadres would reach the end of their tether. Around 300 posts are already lying vacant in the Education department of the District department for several years past.Confirming the vacancies in the department, sources said its performance had been affected adversely. The department is entrusted with dissemination of information about the government’s policies and programs and because of the shortage of staff at Doda and Bhaderwah , it has more often than not been going by default.The situation in the Rural Development Department is no different. Sources said maximum posts were lying vacant for a long time. In certain cases, each of the incumbent officials has been given the additional charge of two or three blocks, in other cases, officials in junior rungs, including panchayat officers, have been elevated in makeshift arrangement to look after various headless blocks.With the launch of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (NREGP) and wresting of Self-Help Group affairs with the Rural Development Department, the per capita work load of the staff has increased and hence it is urgent to recruit staff at all levels if the department was to function well.Sources said the situation in the key Revenue department was no better. More than 200 posts in various categories are understood to be lying vacant.Meanwhile, sources said, a large number of executive officers posts were lying vacant for several years in the civic bodies in various major and small towns across the Chenab valley . With a view tackling the problem, several incumbent executive officers have been assigned with several towns. Because of procedural handicaps, efforts to fill up the existing vacancies did not bear fruit, sources said, adding the working of the civic bodies had been hit due to the staff shortage.Sources said the vacancies in different government departments and institutions came handy to the authorities to resort of back-door appointments. In most such cases, relevant service rules are ignored to shower undue favors to blue-eyed officials regardless of their qualification, suitability and merit. Job requirements are seldom taken into consideration while making such dubious promotions and it is eventually the performance of concerned department which suffers, sources said
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:47:16 +0000
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