Scant attention being paid towards Cabinet decision
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 18: In a testimony of scant attention towards the vital decision of State Cabinet, the Government has failed to provide sufficient manpower to the five key divisions of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department despite lapse of one and half years. Moreover, no seriousness is being shown towards cadre review of Jammu and Kashmir Economics and Statistics Gazetted and Non-Gazetted Services, which was last conducted nine years back.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that after a gap of several years, the Government felt it imperative to make the Planning and Development Department more effective and vibrant and accordingly a proposal of re-orientation of the department was worked out.
The proposal was placed before the State Cabinet, which vide Decision No.17/02/2016 dated April 27, 2016 put a seal of approval on the same. Accordingly, Government vide Order No.207-PD dated April 29, 2016 accorded sanction to the re-orientation of the Planning and Development Department, which was accordingly named as Planning, Development and Monitoring Department.
Under the re-orientation the department was divided into five divisions—Development Strategy; Project Formulation; Area Planning; Project Monitoring and Evaluation and Coordination. It was explicitly mentioned in the order that re-oriented department will have the mandate to work out a comprehensive long term development strategy and take steps to address development challenges and concerns in the medium term and short term requirements; finalize a comprehensive Public Expenditure Policy; implement announcements/ commitments of the Chief Minister; implement decisions taken by the District Development Boards; deal with cost escalations; programme evaluation and provide coordination for time bound completion of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and mega flagship programmes etc.
It was also mentioned in the order that structure of the reoriented entity particularly the functional organizational structure will be separately notified in due course of time.
However, even after the lapse of one and half year the key divisions of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department have not been provided sufficient manpower despite being entrusted with numerous important responsibilities, sources regretted, adding “though these divisions are trying their level best to accomplish the assigned task yet in the absence of sufficient manpower these divisions have failed to become functional in real sense and many vital functions assigned to them are yet to be taken up vigorously”.
Apart from re-orientation of erstwhile Planning and Development Department, the Government was also required to conduct cadre review of the J&K Economics and Statistics Gazetted and Non Gazetted Services so as to work out actual manpower requirement of all the divisions of the department, ensure optimum utilization of available manpower and creation of new posts keeping in view the mandate and functions of the department following its re-orientation.
But this vital aspect has not received due attention till date, sources said while disclosing that last cadre review of J&K Economics and Statistics Gazetted and Non-Gazetted Services was conducted in the year 2008. This is notwithstanding the fact that as per the rules the cadre review is required to be conducted after every three years.
They informed that in the year 2011 the Government made rationalization in the gazetted cadre service by re-deployment of the various posts of Joint Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of the J&K Economics and Statistics Organization in various departments. “However, the cadre review was not given required attention despite the fact that this is vital exercise to bring efficacy in the functioning of the Planning Department as per the changing scenario and requirements”, sources said.
According to the sources, the J&K Economics and Statistics Gazetted Services officers projected the necessity of cadre review and making the divisions of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department fully functional before the concerned authorities a number of times but without any positive outcome till date.
“The cadre review is must to address the manpower requirements of present and future. It would also correct imbalance in the promotion prospects of the middle-rung officers”, sources said and hoped that the Chief Secretary B B Vyas in whose tenure as Financial Commissioner Planning and Development the re-orientation exercise was conducted, will ensure that this step is taken to the logical conclusion and long over-due cadre review is also conducted without wasting of more time.
“The Chief Secretary should also ensure that the instructions given by him in the meeting convened on the subject in the month of September this year are strictly followed by the concerned authorities”, sources stressed.
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