Being indifferent towards taking decisions at appropriate occasions or in other words, lacking timely decision taking capacity is, broadly speaking, one of the reasons contributing towards underdevelopment of the countries. It is no theoretical aphorism but a time tested reality. While responding to a situation otherwise calling for a timely decision, by employing ad- hoc measures or patch working is, at times, creating more problems than solving any. With these brief introductory words, we feel that it is a matter of concern that the state government is reported to be facing itself at cross roads at the highest levels of bureaucracy as six posts of Administrative Secretaries are lying vacant for the last many months. As if this sort of an avoidable mess was any less, there is ad – hoc “arrangements” for six more departments.
On the other hand, top bureaucrats attaining superannuation and leaving office is rarely followed by replenishments promptly in order that the flow and rhythm of work did not get hampered. It is an ingrained principle of personnel management and of the administrative protocol to make arrangements for replacements well in advance so that the dates of superannuation of IAS or KAS officers and reporting by fresh incumbents coincide rather than mismatch.
Through these lines, we have been laying emphasis on the need to plug the loopholes in the system which come in the way of taking calculated decisions in a time bound manner to ensure the wheels of administration remaining always greased and the problem under reference, by no mean, in any given condition is a consequence of postponing by the government to take timely decisions. In the instant case it is, again, setting in motion a circle which blunts the edges of decisions taking responsibilities as these vacant posts are those of Administrative Secretaries and Heads of the Departments. Both these types of posts are with intrinsic nature to take final decisions in all important matters related to their respective areas of functioning or fields ultimately connected with the people.
The gravity of the situation can be visualized that one of the most sensitive departments, that of Disaster Management is without its top officer, namely Administrative Secretary. And disasters never send any prior massage to enable governments making preemptive or preparatory arrangements but come instantaneously. What prompt action could be expected at the most critical moment in the absence of the decision taking authority at the first instance? The same is true of Relief and Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Cooperatives, Supplies, Rural Development , Trainings, Panchayti Raj , Social Welfare, Agricultural Production and the like.
It is noted with concern that the functioning of these departments and the overall quality of work are suffering. This is short of a crisis at the levels of top bureaucracy and in a state like Jammu and Kashmir, it could be afforded, not even in the least.
In addition to non filling up of posts of Administrative Secretaries, the posts of Commissioner Commercial Taxes and Excise Commissioner have also been lying vacant, again, due to inability of the government to take timely decisions and post the incumbents. Without wafting around alibi of whatever nature for the goof in deficiency in decision making process, the government must take measures to fill up the vacancies in the top bureaucratic hierarchy of the state administration, now without any ado.
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