*125 posts of key officers among 400 lying vacant
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 19: Notwithstanding the fact that one after another scam is tumbling out of the cupboard of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, huge number of key positions of the department have been lying vacant in different parts of the State thereby leaving enough scope for malpractices. Due to the prevailing situation, numerous officials have been holding additional charge of various vacant posts since long, which is also considered as one of the major reasons for development of vested interests.
Top official sources told EXCELSIOR that huge number of posts of the department have been lying vacant in both Kashmir and Jammu Divisions during the past quite long time despite the fact that adequate manpower is imperative to ensure better management of affairs of any department.
“What to talk of other positions, even those posts, which are directly associated with ensuring distribution of ration in fair and transparent manner, are lying vacant because of one or the another reason”, sources revealed, adding “the situation is worst at the level of Assistant Directors and Tehsil Supply Officers, who are otherwise considered to be the key officers in the districts and field”.
Quoting example of Jammu Division, sources disclosed that as against sanctioned strength of 983, the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department is having only 583 officers and officials and remaining 400 posts have been lying vacant. Of these vacant posts, 114 are of Tehsil Supply Officers/ Supervisors/Inspectors and eight of Assistant Directors.
Actually, there should be one Tehsil Supply Officer in each Tehsil of the State but due to failure of the Government to fill up sanctioned posts, one Tehsil Supply Officer is holding the charge of many tehsils thereby leaving enough scope for the malpractices. Similarly, there should be one Assistant Director for each district but in many districts of the State there are no Assistant Directors and the charge of these posts has been given to other officers, which is also a reason behind many incidences of malpractices getting un-noticed, sources said.
Notwithstanding the fact that majority of malpractices are reported from the stores of the department, numerous posts of storekeepers have been lying vacant in both the divisions of the State. Quoting an example, sources said that in Jammu division the number of vacant posts of storekeepers is around 60. “Inspection is considered to be vital exercise to detect the malpractices but the department doesn’t have adequate number of Inspectors and Chief Inspectors”, they added.
“Though department is facing numerous litigations in different courts particularly with regard to embezzlements, it has inadequate number of Law Officers”, sources said, adding “due to this, the department is finding it difficult to properly project its case before the courts and the same is resulting into adverse remarks against the top brass of the department”.
Not only with the Law Department with regard to posting of Law Officers, the CAPD Department has also failed to take up the issue of posting of Statistical and Accounts Assistants with the Planning and Finance Department as a result of which huge number of posts of such officers have been lying vacant, sources further said.
In response to a question, sources revealed that Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting has not been convened during the past two years as a result of which vacant posts of Chief Inspectors, Inspectors, Head Assistants, Tehsil Supply Officers and Supervisors could not be filled till date.
When contacted, an officer of the department said, “on the directions of the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Ch Zulfkar Ali, we are in the process of completing the formalities so that DPC is convened as early as possible”.
He admitted that practice of allowing one officer to hold the charge of numerous posts leads to development of vested interests and malpractices. “Hopefully, with the initiative we have already taken the issue of manpower crunch would be resolved shortly”, he added.
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