Srinagar: Additional charge syndrome does not take a heavy toll of governance only at the top but it has reached at the very grass roots of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department tasked the job of taking ration at the doorsteps of the people.
Top sources while disclosing this to “Kashmir Horizon” revealed that charge of Joint Director at the FCS&CA directorate left unfilled for last several months is looked after by a non cadre officer working in the department as Assistant Director Supplies on regular basis in addition to his own duties. The said non cadre officer is simultaneously holding the charge of the positions of two Deputy Directors left unfilled for a very long time. So unprecedentedly a non cadre officer is simultaneously holding the additional charge of three cadre posts-Joint Director and two Deputy Directors. Furthermore Asstt Director Shopian is holding the additional charge of the post of Assistant Director Pulwama and Assistant Director North Srinagar Mohammad Yousuf Bhat is holding the additional charge of the key post of Assistant Director Stores. Ironically the additional charge of all important position of Assistant Director Enforcement is held by Assistant Director South Srinagar Mushtaq Ahmad Wani the officer facing trial in one corruption case at J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau (J&K ACB) and in another case at Crime Branch of J&K Police. Significantly posts of Chief Inspectors have been left unfilled in all the ten districts of Kashmir valley. Director FCS & CA Kashmir Dr Ab Salaam Mir when contacted told Kashmir Horizon “no doubt posts are lying vacant but the matter has been already taken up with the Government and we hope appointment of cadre officers on positions the additional charge of which is presently held by others temporarily. About the positions of Chief Inspectors the matter of the bifurcation between J&K and Ladhak is yet to be resolved and this is the only stumbling block in the promotion of officers as Chief Inspectors. Let me make it clear that as soon as government decides the issue of bifurcation between J&K and Ladhak we will resolve the issue of promotion of officers to fill the positions of Chief Inspectors in short time”. It may be mentioned here that since Ladhak and Kargil districts were lying under the administrative control of FCS&CA’s Kashmir director the way Deputy Commissioners of Leh and Kargil were lying under the administrative control of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir till August 5,2019 the bifurcation of the posts between J&K Ladhak is the main hurdle in the promotion of officers and officials in FCS &CA department like all other departments but this issue has been left unresolved for last two and a half years in FCS&CA department.
