Siang dist facing shortage of staffs

[ Gandhi Darang ]

BOLENG, 13 Feb: Siang district has been facing shortage of administrative officers and ministerial staffers since the district was created in November 2014.

Presently, district headquarters Boleng is manned only by four administrative officers – the DC, the ADC, an EAC and a CO.

Many district/departmental heads, like DDMO, DLRSO, AMDO, DTO (transport), DIPRO, FAO, treasury officer, DFO, ICDS deputy director, DRDA project director, district research officer, DL&IO (library), DSO (sports), DSO (statistics), DL&EO (labour), etc, have not yet been posted to the district.

In Siang district, there are nine administrative circles – Boleng, Pangin, Riga, Rebo-Perging (Riew), Kebang, Rumgong, Jomlo, Kaying and Payum. Out of these nine circles, Kebang, Pangin, Rebo Perging and Payum do not have a CO. Last month, a CO who had been posted at the district headquarters availed the VRS.

The state cabinet had in May last year upgraded the Pangin EAC headquarters to an ADC (independent) headquarters with the administrative circles of Pangin, Kebang and Rebo-Perging.

The public of the three administrative circles under Pangin ADC headquarters are facing hardships in obtaining important documents like birth, ST, income, etc, certificates due to lack of administrative officers.

After the death of Pangin EAC Vijoy Tamuk last month, no CO has been posted there.

Reportedly, the ADC (HQ) has been given the additional charge of Pangin, but the officer is already overburdened at the district headquarters. Attending office regularly in such a situation is obviously not possible. Hence, posting of a regular ADC, an EAC and a CO in Pangin is urgently required.

A horticulture development officer was earlier assigned to look after the administrative affairs in the absence of the EAC.

Apart from Group A and B officers, there is acute shortage of ministerial staffers. During the tenure of the then DC Rahul Singh, more than 30 ministerial posts were created; but the re-examination for the posts is yet to be conducted.

A senior citizen rued the lack of officers and staffs in the district.

“How can the district march ahead and implement various welfare programmes and policies of the government with such few staffs?” he said.