*Internal arrangement continues in absence of manpower
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 27: Even more than 10 months after their creation, the new administrative units have failed to provide much-needed respite to the people as no attention has so far been paid towards transfer of revenue record, revenue court and Army rent cases. Due to this, the people are still compelled to pay visits to the erstwhile administrative units despite having the new ones in their vicinity.
This has also established that the vigor which was shown in the creation of large number of administrative units was never exhibited thereafter in making these governmental entities functional in real sense so that they can help in redressing the grievances of the people and provide different services at their door steps.
After hectic exercise spread over several months, the State Cabinet during the regime of National Conference-Congress Coalition Government approved creation of 659 new Administrative Units in Jammu and Kashmir in the month of February 2014. These Administrative Units included 46 Sub-Divisions, 135 Tehsils, 177 CD Blocks and 301 Niabats.
Thereafter, Revenue and Rural Development Departments in the month of July last year issued two formal orders approving creation of these administrative units with one stroke of pen. After sometime, even the geographical and territorial limits of the newly created and adjoining existing administrative units were notified as required under Section 5 of Jammu and Kashmir Land Revenue Act.
However, despite lapse of over 10 months, these new administrative units particularly those which fall in the domain of Revenue Department have failed to provide respite to the people and meet the objective behind their creation, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“Till date, revenue record has not been transferred to the new administrative units from the erstwhile units and people are still being compelled to pay numerous visits to the erstwhile units for revenue record related works”, sources informed, adding “whenever the new administrative units are approached, the people are told that record has not been transferred. On approaching the erstwhile units, they are told to visit new unit on the ground of territorial jurisdiction”.
In this way, people are compelled to pay visits to erstwhile as well as new units, which was not the spirit behind the creation of new administrative units. “Instead of getting services at their doorsteps, people are shuttling between old and new administrative units thereby defeating the objective behind creation of large number of governmental entities in one go”, sources added.
Similarly, the files pertaining to the cases pending in the revenue courts have not been transferred to the new administrative units as per their area of jurisdiction, sources further revealed, adding “this is leading to delay in settlement of cases and doing injustice with the masses”.
They informed that due to inordinate delay in shifting of record even disbursal of rent for the land requisitioned by the Army from the people is getting delayed as those at the helm of affairs in the erstwhile units are not considering this as part of their duty because of change in the territorial jurisdiction and new units are exhibiting helplessness in disbursal for want of record.
“Moreover, large number of new administrative units are still crying for adequate manpower and other facilities required for smooth functioning of the any governmental entity”, sources regretted, adding in order to make new units functional hurriedly, the Revenue Department got some officials transferred from the erstwhile adjoining units but till date neither that shortfall in old units has been met nor full manpower provided in new units.
When contacted, Secretary Revenue, Mohd Afzal Bhat confirmed that all the new administrative units are reeling under manpower shortage. “We have referred the posts to the recruiting agencies and this problem would be resolved once the recruiting agencies accomplish their task”, he added.
About transfer of record, he said, “there might be delay in some cases owing to lack of space and paraphernalia in the new administrative units”, adding “if somebody brings the units which are facing such problem to my notice I will definitely take corrective steps”.
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