Nearly 150 representations pending in different wings
Admn Secy warns of stern action in case of further slackness
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 12: Notwithstanding repeated thrust of the Raj Bhawan and Chief Secretary on the outcome based and prompt disposal of representations of the public, several wings of the Rural Development Department have been soft-paddling on initiating action on the public grievances received from the Governor’s Secretariat and Advisors. Moreover, in majority of these wings Nodal Officers have not been appointed to deal with the issues of the common masses.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that ever since the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, people are regularly coming up with their issues through formal complaints with the hope that administration will take prompt action on the same and provide them relief.
“The number of complaints is increasing day by day as people are of the opinion that their grievances can be better taken care of during the Governor’s Rule than under any political dispensation in the State”, sources further said.
In order to facilitate the people in highlighting their issues there is a dedicated JK Governor’s Grievance Cell besides all the three Advisors of the Governor have been regularly meeting and hearing grievances of people at Srinagar and Jammu.
Moreover, the Raj Bhawan through Governor’s Principal Secretary and Chief Secretary have been regularly issuing instructions to the departments for result-driven and prompt disposal of public grievances so as to come up to the expectations of the people.
However, several wings of the Rural Development Department, which have been entrusted with the task of transforming developmental profile of the rural areas of the State by implementing several Centrally Sponsored Schemes, have been soft-paddling on disposal of grievances forwarded to them either by the Governor’s Secretariat or by the Advisors.
This can be gauged from the recent communication of Secretary to Government, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Sheetal Nanda to Directorates of Rural Development Jammu/ Kashmir, Director Rural Sanitation, Mission Director J&K State Rural Livelihood Mission, Chief Operation Officer of Umeed/Himayat, CEO State Level Nodal Agency of Integrated Watershed Management Programme and all Assistant Commissioners Development.
“It has been noted that a large number of public grievances/representations received by the department through Governor and the Advisors are pending for disposal in various subordinate offices”, reads the communication.
“It is mandatory to dispose of the grievances in a time bound manner and to convey the action taken report to the higher authorities within a specific time limit but due to the non-seriousness on the part of various offices, the grievances are pending for disposal since long”, the Secretary said.
Taking serious view of the slackness, the Secretary issued instructions to all the concerned to take the matter on priority and furnish the action taken/factual reports of all such cases within a specified time-frame. “Any negligence on this behalf shall not be tolerated in future”, she made it clear.
It has further been enjoined upon all the controlling officers to nominate/appoint a Nodal Officer in their respective offices who shall deal with such matters.
“Though these wings of the Rural Development Department have started acting on the grievances received from Governor’s Secretariat and Advisors following issuance of communication by the Secretary yet the situation has not improved up to the desired level till date”, sources said.
This can be gauged from the fact that a total of 126 grievances received from Governor’s Secretariat were pending for disposal in these wings of the Rural Development Department till the issuance of communication by the Administrative Secretary and at present 76 are still pending for disposal.
Similarly, a total of 90 grievances received from the Advisors were pending for disposal till the issuance of communication and 70 are still pending for action by the concerned officers of the different wings of the Rural Development Department, sources informed.
It is pertinent to mention here that ever since the imposition of Governor’s rule in the State, stress is being laid on result-driven and prompt disposal of public grievances by all the departments and strengthening of internal monitoring mechanism by appointing Nodal Officers so as to ensure delivery of good governance.
“The dilly-dallying approach of the different wings of the Rural Development Department amounts to creating hurdles in achieving this objective”, sources remarked.
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