Decision on reorganisation soon: Chairman
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 31: Though controlling of increasing pollution is a vital issue nowadays, the staff starved JK Pollution Control Board (JKPCB) is running on crutches at present due to the failure of authorities to reorganise it despite the directives of various enforcing agencies.
According to sources, the Board is presently on crutches as it is facing a shortage of over 40 percent staff which includes posts of officers at district level while the present staff and senior officers are stagnated at one post for last 22 years despite the fact that their counterparts in other departments have taken three to four promotions and some of them have become even Heads of their respective Departments.
Running from pillar to post, these emoloyees have failed to get justice till date and the proposal for strengthening the Board submitted to Government last year is biting the dust as no headway has been made in this regard till date, sources said.
They added that the Board has a vast mandate of enforcement of Environmental Laws, monitoring of air and water quality, industrial pollution, hazardous waste, biomedical waste, solid waste etc. The need of strengthening of the man power of PCB is due from long time as no expansion, upgradation and rejuvenation of the organisation has been made since 1996.This has constantly affected the implementation of action plans on the management of deteriorating air quality and water quality, sources added.
They said the sanctioned strength of the employees of the Board is 437 while presently it is functioning with 248 employees only. However in the new rationalisation draft the total number of posts have been reduced from 437 to 401, they added.
Sources said the draft proposal for strengthening and re-organisation of the Board was made on the directives of National Green Tribunal (NGT) and other Law Enforcing agencies including Apex Court of the country last year and it was submitted to Government for approval but much to the discomfiture of the hapless employees of the Board no action has been taken on the same till date.
Sources said the proposal regarding rationalisation and framing of guidelines were approved in the Board meeting and submitted to Government six months back but to no avail.
Sources said such is the state of affairs in the Board that some officers appointed in it 23 years back having degrees from prestigious technical institutions of the country including IIT are stagnated on the same post since then while their counter parts with lesser qualification than them have got three promotions in other departments during this period. The main reason for this being that some vested elements are creating hurdles in approving the proposal and framing of solid structure for the Board, they added.
Sources said due to the apathetic attitude of the Government the Board employees in almost all of its wings including Administrative Wing, Technical and Scientific Wing as well as IT Wing are facing a bleak future at present.
They said in its recent directions issued by NGT Principal Bench, New Delhi wherein directions were issued to Chief Secretaries of all the states to fill up the vacant posts by competent persons with required qualification and to strengthen the Board for the proper implementation of its mandate.
Sources said there are several directions issued to Board where in time bound directions have been issued for strengthening of the manpower. But no tangible results results have come so far, sources added.
However, Chairman of the Board, Suresh Chug showed total optimism that the issue will be sorted out soon saying the Government is on the job. He said after the re-organisation of the State in 2019 it is to be decided whether name of the Board will continue to remain as Pollution Control Board or it will be rechristened as Pollution Control Committee.
Chug, however, said that promotions were not altogether denied for last 22 years but some of the employees were promoted also during this period.
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