Critical and vital issues like proper urban planning appear to be no one’s baby resulting in many towns under the ambit of respective Master Plans suffering and expanding haphazardly and erratically. What is the concerned agency – The Town Planning Organisation – doing and how things connected to urban planning are being supervised and monitored by the Urban Development Department is not very difficult to know since otherwise also we have been suggesting for a revamp and energizing of this important department. However, parking all blame at the doors of the Town Planning Organisation would also be a one sided approach as in the name of promotions and replenishing the staff having left the organisation due to superannuation and other reasons etc, very little is being done. Ad-hoc approach reigns high with fixed responsibility resting on none or resting in a slender and bounded capacity. Who is, as such, bothered about the fate of at least 100 towns expanding rapidly and wanting a planned development in accordance with the Master Plans? Town Planning Organisation, therefore, appears to have plunged in a depreciative sheen and importance otherwise expected to be playing an important role of stitching different schemes of town planning, developmental plans, tourist destinations, providing advisory services and technical advice to various developmental agencies, urban development bodies and even Government departments. In regulation of settlements , its role is far from satisfactory. The reason is all about staff management. This problem is not affecting the vitals of this organisation alone but many departments about which the Government not being ignorant appears to be practically not breaking the inertia. Reorganisation, reshaping and revamping of an organisation periodically is not only a requirement of importance but keeping it attuned with the ever growing expectations of the public from it. For not many years but strangely for decades, this important aspect has been completely ignored rather deleted from priorities of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir in respect of Town Planning Organisation. It is reported that the Organisation is ”Headless” as it has no Chief Town Planner and temporary or officiating types of recourses are resorted to besides some posts of Town Planners being vacant are not being filled. Officiating or in-charge basis is rampant in deploying of officer staff cadre in the organisation. It can be well understood that normally and traditionally in such a scenario, neither decisions are made nor requisite authority and powers exercised resulting in important areas as mentioned continuously suffering. Departmental Promotion Committees (DPC) are more of symbolic nature than given practical shape in that it is reported that for several years no meeting of any DPC has been held let alone deciding on the probabilities of an exercise of promoting the eligible to the next cadre, grade or position. Stagnation and ”status -quo- ante” thus resulting among the staff members setting in motion of a cycle of lethargy, disinterest and lack of taking initiatives must be reversed by proper planning and its implementation. In the absence of a vibrant character of an organisation, not provided with the basic working infrastructure, optimum results in performance can be least expected. Master plans cannot be ignored to be adopted and implemented for any unspecified period without paying a heavy cost which the Urban Development Department needs to underline and therefore, take urgent steps in that direction. Urbanisation and associated issues, development etc cannot be asked to wait, hence a matching response is required if planned town hood has any semblance beyond papers and office files in Jammu and Kashmir
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