CEs, Directors among several senior level officers undermining institution of DDB

*Absence creating hurdles in meeting people’s aspirations
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 4: Notwit-hstanding Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s much thrust on single line administration, many senior level officers including Chief Engineers and Directors have been skipping the review meetings of the District Development Boards at their sweet will thereby creating impediments in meeting the aspirations of the common masses. Their act of undermining the institution of DDB has invited serious concern from the Chairmen of several Boards, who have issued directions for sending warning notes to such officers for mending their ways.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that several Head of Departments including Chief Engineers, Directors and Managing Directors skipped the review meetings of many District Development Boards convened by the respective Chairman in the recent past and their absence led to deferring of many vital issues.
The review meetings were held strictly in compliance to the directives of the Chief Minister, who is also holding the charge of the Planning and Development Department, with the sole objective of reviewing the follow-up action on the decisions taken in the main DDB meetings held three months back and chaired by the Chief Minister himself.
The purpose of holding quarterly review meetings is to ensure expeditious implementation of the decisions and meeting the development related aspirations of the common masses as the District Development Boards have big importance in single line administration.
According to the sources, several Head of Departments like Director Tourism Kashmir, Director Youth Services and Sports, Director General Fire Services and Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation skipped the review meeting of Kupwara District Development Board chaired by Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Ch Zulfkar Ali on October 22 at Srinagar.
Similarly, Director Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)/ Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Chief Engineer Public Works Department, Chief Engineer, EM&RE, Registrar Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Jammu, Director J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency, Director Colleges, Chief Engineer PMGSY Jammu, Director Technical Education, MD JKPCC and Director Social Forestry skipped the review meeting of Udhampur District Development Board chaired by Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ch Lal Singh on October 28 at Udhampur.
Likewise, Director SSA/RMSA, Director Technical Education, Chief Engineer System and Operation of Power Development Department, Chief Engineer PMGSY and Director Libraries skipped the review meeting of DDB Kathua chaired by Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh on October 17.
Disclosing that some officers too skipped review meetings of other districts also, sources said, “in the absence of these officers the follow-up action on the decisions about their departments taken in the main DDB meetings chaired by the Chief Minister could not be reviewed by the Chairmen of the Boards and the same had to be deferred”, adding “by skipping the review meetings these officers have also created impediments in finalizing the road-map of development of their respective departments for remaining six months of the current financial year”.
“As these officers have undermined the institution of DDB by skipping the review meetings without any plausible reason, the Chairmen of Kupwara and Udhampur District Development Boards have sought explanation from the absentee officers”, sources said, adding “the Chairmen have issued directions for sending warning notes to such officers for mending their ways in future failing which they will have to face the music as the Government has decided not to allow slackness of the officers to create roadblocks in meeting the aspirations of the common masses”.
According to the sources, the MLAs and MLCs have also expressed serious concern over the Head of the Departments skipping DDB review meetings and have requested the Chairmen to ensure that officers remain present in future meetings otherwise the purpose of conducting review would get defeated and grievances of the people vis-à-vis developmental activities would remain unresolved.
In response to a question, they said that majority of the issues which had to be deferred by the DDBs for want of presence of the HoDs include construction of bridges, up-gradation of roads, creation of tourism infrastructure, installation of HT/LT lines, poles, transformers, development of sports infrastructure, provision of basic amenities like drinking water and regular power supply, deployment of adequate manpower in public dealing Government offices and proper infrastructure to educational institutions etc.
“The non-serious approach of the senior level officers towards the District Development Board is notwithstanding the fact that Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is laying much thrust on these institutions of single line administration”, sources said, adding “for Chief Minister the institution of DDB is also a platform to review the performance of the officers in improving the public delivery mechanism”.

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