Staff shortage at Jammu Super Bazaar causes major disruptions
Vikas Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 26: The Jammu Super Bazaar is grappling with a severe shortage of staff, leading to significant operational challenges and inconvenience for both customers and the already overburdened existing staff.
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Despite numerous vacancies across various positions, from skilled workers to salesmen, the authorities have failed to fill these gaps, exacerbating the strain on current employees.
According to official sources, the absence of a sufficient workforce has had a detrimental impact on the smooth functioning of the Bazaar, causing delays in the delivery of essential services.
As a result, many branches of the Super Bazaar, including those at A G Office, Rehari, Sainik Colony and Panjtirthi, have already been shut down, while others are on the verge of closure.
Sources revealed that while the sanctioned staff strength exceeds 100 members, only about 25 staff members are working, with the bulk of the workload shifted onto them.
This shortage has led to a slowdown in operations and repeated requests for additional staff have gone unanswered by the authorities.
“They are least bothered about the health condition of the existing employees and are forcing them to maintain the smooth running of business at the Super Bazaar. Time to time our repeated requests to the higher officials were turned down.” sources said.
They further informed that the situation is particularly dire at other branches, including the branches at Roop Nagar and Talab Tillo, where the lack of skilled personnel has created significant challenges in customer service.
“Many positions have been vacant for years due to retirements, and no replacements have been made. This long-standing issue has severely impacted the Bazaar’s ability to function efficiently, leading to delays in services and frustration for customers,” they added.
They disclosed that many positions have been vacant in the department for several years, severely hindering the department’s functioning and causing unnecessary delays in essential service delivery. Most of these positions have remained unfilled due to retirements without any replacements being made. Some officials retired in previous years and many are in the last leg of their service, but there has been no replacement for these positions till date.
An official acknowledged the growing burden on the staff, highlighting the overcrowded conditions and the difficulty in handling the high volume of customers. The lack of staff at many counters at the bazaar has forced many visitors to leave empty-handed, unable to complete their shopping.
“The available staff is overwhelmed with additional responsibilities and is struggling to meet the growing demand for services,” said the official, who wished to remain unnamed.
In response to these concerns, Purnima Mittal, Additional Registrar Jammu (Additional Charge), Cooperative Department, told the EXCELSIOR that the current staff strength was sufficient to manage the operations of the Super Bazaar. She attributed the staff shortage to the low volume of business at some branches and assured that she would look into the issue soon.
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