Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 3: The new administrative units as proposed by Mushtaq Ahmed Ganai-headed Committee are unlikely to see light of the day as State Government is sleeping over the recommendations since July 2011 on the pretext of examining the recommendations and working out the requirement of funds.
The process of ascertaining the demands of people for new administrative units was actually started in 2007 when the Government had constituted a Committee headed by former Chief Secretary of the State, Dr S S Bloeria. However, the report of the Committee was termed as ‘inconclusive’ in 2009 and in January 2010, the Committee was revived with Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai as its head and Varinder Kumar Gupta, Mumtaz Afzal, Abdul Aziz and S R Kapur as its members.
The Committee submitted its report to the Government on July 14, 2011 following which the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah directed the Revenue Department to prepare a note after detailed examination of the recommendations for discussion and final decision in the Cabinet.
When the note was placed before the Cabinet in January last year it was decided to seek more details from the Revenue Department for taking holistic view of the entire issue. Accordingly, the Revenue Department was asked to work out human resource, infrastructural requirement and financial implications involved in setting up of new administrative units as proposed by the committee.
“However, since January 2012 the Revenue Department has not come up with the information as was desired by the Cabinet as a result of which the creation of new administrative units is hanging in balance”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “even more than one year after the directions of the Cabinet the Revenue Department is stating that report is under examination for taking appropriate action”.
Sources further said, “keeping in view the dilly-dallying tactics adopted by the Revenue Department the new administrative units are unlikely to see light of the day and the exercise carried out first by Dr S S Bloeria and then by Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai remains futile”, adding “no doubt whopping funds are required to establish new administrative units, the Revenue Department should have at least placed the figures before the Cabinet so that some decision could have been taken vis-à-vis arrangement of funds”.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary Revenue, B A Runiyal said, “tentative requirement of funds has been worked out and after completion of left over exercise we will place a detailed note before the Cabinet”, adding “as the Budget Session is going on it would be difficult for us to prepare detailed Cabinet memorandum. Soon after the Budget Session we will approach Cabinet with figures vis-à-vis requirement of manpower and funds for creation of infrastructure for new administrative units as proposed by Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai Committee”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai Committee has recommended setting up of 23 Sub-Divisions, 57 Tehsils, 63 CD blocks, 79 Niabats and 733 Patwar Halqas.
For each proposed Sub-Division at least one post each of SDM, Saddar Mohasib, Junior Scale Steno, Reader, Senior Assistant, two posts each of Junior Assistants and five Orderlies are required.
Similarly, for each Tehsil at least one post each of Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar, Office Qanoongo, Senior Assistant, two Office Patwaris, four Junior Assistants and six Orderlies are required. Likewise, for each CD block one BDO, Head Assistant, Junior Assistant, Computer Assistant-cum-Data Operator and four Orderlies is the bare minimum requirement of staff. For each Niabat, one Naib Tehsildar, Junior Assistant and Orderly is the minimum possible requirement.
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