3 posts to one
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 09 2019: As if there is no other qualified officers, a single officer has been serving as Additional Director, Joint Director and Deputy Director of Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department and it is evoked serious grievances among fellow officers, subordinate officers and other staff.

Sources informed that two officers who were serving as Joint Director (SC) and Joint Director (H) retired on February 28 and January 31 this year.

Following their retirement, Ukhrul District Officer/Deputy Director (H&SC) M Kirankumar and Tamenglong District Officer/Deputy Director (H&SC) H Bisheswor were given the charge of Joint Directors in addition to the posts they were holding.

The Under Secretary (H&SC) issued an order on March 2 this year whereby Deputy Director M Kirankumar was given the charge of Joint Director (H) in addition to his normal duty.

Again, the Under Secretary (H&SC) issued another order on April 15 whereby Joint Director (H) and Deputy Director (H &SC) M Kirankumar was assigned the charge of Additional Director (H&SC).

Sources said that there is no harm in promoting or assigning the duties of Additional Director to a qualified and eligible officer but assigning all the duties of Additional Director, Joint Director and Deputy Director to a single officer severely curtails the line of promotion of subordinate officers.

This arrangement has left many officers eligible for promotion dejected, said the sources.

Moreover, the order issued on April 15 whereby M Kirankumar was assigned the duty of Additional Director (H&SC) violated the election model code of conduct as the model code of conduct was already in force by then.

At the same time, assigning the key duties of Additional Director to a Ukhrul District Officer may lead to serious lapses and defects while discharging his duties as District Officer/Deputy Director, said the sources.

The sources further said that most senior Agriculture Officers were left out when some Agriculture Officers were promoted to the rank of Deputy Directors by violating all established rules and norms.

An officer who retired as Deputy Director in February 2018 was re-engaged in November as OSD/Consultant under MIDH Scheme for a period of six months.

Even though the re-engagement period expired in April this year, it has been learnt that process is underway to re-engage the same officer for another six months.

Notably, the State Government went on record that they would do away with the practice of re-engaging retired officers.

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