Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 24: Over 85 % engineers, who were shifted from the parent department R&B to the REW (RDD), are over staying in the Rural Development Department as it has turned out to be as most lucrative for many of them while a large number of non-technical people after managing ‘fake diplomas’ have been placed as Junior Engineers in the RDD.
Highly placed official sources in the Rural Development Department (RDD) told the Excelsior that a strong nexus has been developed in the Rural Development Department involving some `key engineers’ and a few higher officials, who manage their long stay in the REW. This nexus has emerged so strong that they are ruling the roost. Even they are now dictating terms to some top officers including BDOs/ ACDs/ DPOs and Deputy Directors etc and without the consent of these ‘few influential people’ things do not move normally in the department. This particular lobby is even managing the postings of the officers/ officials of their choice at the district, block as well as Panchayat secretary and VLW level as well.
While as per Government Service Rules, the deputation of the Civil Engineers from R&B in the Rural Development Department (REW) and some other departments is just three years and extendable maximum by one year and only one more year as a special case on the basis of performance and that too, with the intervention of Minister concerned but in the RDD, there are many such engineers who are managing to prolong their stay for the last more than 15 years and are reluctant to return to their parent department, making way for others in the R&B.
Quoting an instant, the sources further revealed that an Executive Engineer in RDD (REW) Jammu who came here as JE in 1999, became AE and then Incharge AEE in Jammu REW and he is now Incharge Executive Engineer, REW Jammu for the last more than three years. There are many such instances where JEs, AEs, AEEs and Executive Engineers are overstaying in the REW (RDD) for the last about more than 10 to 18 years and they are not ready to return to their parent department.
In Bishnah and Bhalwal Blocks of Jammu district, a JE and AE are serving for the last more than 15 years. Favourites are so influential that an AE has been accorded the charge of I/C AEE and I/C Xen in REW Ramban. Not only this, in sheer violation of rules and Govt order No 156 of 2003 that all the engineers only from R&B shall be deputed to the REW /RDD; two I/C AEEs have been deputed from PHE,I&FC in Doda and Samba districts in the RDD (REW), the sources maintained.
Interestingly, the R&B department seems to have forgotten to bring back its engineers sent on deputation to the REW (RDD) for the last about two decades. Though some political people and social activists, raised the issue on certain occasions, but people at the helm of affairs by using their influence and connections, managed their stay back in the REW.
Minister for R&B, Naeem Akhtar when contacted for his comments over the issue said that as per service rules, they can have maximum stay of four years and how, so many of them were there in the REW for the last so many years is matter of concern. ” I will seek full detail of such officers/ engineers over staying in REW and bring them back shortly. No body is above rules and law, you will see the action in this regard shortly,” the R&B Minister asserted.
A senior bureaucrat in the R&B department on the request of not being quoted disclosed that an exercise has already been initiated in this regard in the department. A list has been sought by the Administrative department regarding deputation of all the engineers and their period of stay not only in REW/ RDD but also in some other departments including Estates, Police Housing, Tourism etc. No overstaying officer/ engineer will be allowed to escape the exercise.
He revealed that MGNREGA has turned ‘gold mine’ for many as Centre is pumping in huge funds for this sector. The labour rate is just Rs 173 per day and private labourers are getting Rs 350 and 400 per day. Hardly any labourer turns up for the MGNREGA works and most of the works are shown on papers and bogus/ fraudulent lists are prepared by the officials. Moreover, labours remain unpaid for months and years. So they avoid this work but funds are mostly shown consumed by the concerned Blocks, officials. Some blocks have also generated huge liabilities on this count for the last several years.
Sources further revealed that some non- technical people working as work supervisors managed their fake diplomas from private institutions outside the State like Bihar, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Punjab and on the basis of these fake certificates they managed posting as Junior Engineers hardly three to four years back.
Even some of them did not apply for the study or exam leave to the competent authority and obtained the diplomas even from un-recognised institutions by J&K Government, like Himayatnagar and Vinayaka Mission, besides others outside the State and they too, as correspondence/ distance mode to manage promotions. An inquiry was also initiated by the Government some time back but it was hushed by some senior officers having vested interests.
The documents in the possession of Excelsior revealed that while these non-technical people service in the RDD since long were accorded promotions as JE during 2014 but the grade benefit was showered on these favourites from 2005, 2006 and even 2007 to many of them, in violation of service rules, causing extensive loss to the public exchequer. This matter is needed to be investigated by the Government by imposing recovery on the defaulters and taking action against the officers concerned.
Director Rural Development Jammu, RK Bhat when asked will he hold inquiry into the matter and take action in this regard said, ” Who am I to take action in this regard. It is the job of Government and rather Administrative department to take cognizance of the matter. Both these issues are beyond my domain and competence. Let the Administrative Department take note of it,” the Director maintained.
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