Employees in dilemma over 'place of posting' order
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: April 26, 2022 -

COMPLAINTS, albeit with great restraint and on ground of anonymity, by some employees over inconveniences faced in adhering to the government's strict directive to stay put at their respective places of posting, indicates that smooth implementation and success of the policy aimed at streamlining the administrative set-up will be basically determined by improvisation as per the situation.

It's not surprising that problems related to lack of accommodation facility have cropped up within days of the government issuing order that the government officials must ensure his/her presence in their place of posting without fail at-least during the five work days of the week.

Even in the twin capital districts, there are huge shortages of government quarters and as such one can easily imagine how the situation would be like in remote areas of both the hills and valley districts.

It's a fact that many government employees posted in the district headquarters are putting up in rented quarters while those who managed to move into the few available government facilities have the backing of the higher-ups.

Unlike the elected people's representatives, who are no different from the employees when it comes to relishing the comfort of government facilities as could be comprehended from the mad rush to occupy quarters after every five-yearly cycle, the choice for government employees working in urban and suburban areas is to find affordable private buildings leased out as rents, move into relative's place or travel long distance every working day. However, for offices located in far-flung areas the employees would naturally be in a fix on where to find the accommodation.

It is also obvious that the handful of government quarters available in the subdivisions and blocks would be off limit to employees in the lower echelon as the senior officers wouldn't let go of any such facility.

While it could be safely stated that the present regime would hold its predecessor responsible for the problem in case the problem arising out lack of government quarters deepens and employees start to defy the order, it is advisable that the incumbent government accords top priority towards ensuring basic facilities at-least at the block level where finding rented rooms is out of the context as the native residents in such pockets are themselves struggling to make both ends meet.

Therefore, for meaningful and effective compliance of the order issued on April 18 by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Personnel Division) which categorically instructed all government officials to remain in their respective place of posting, it is imperative for the government to construct low cost barrack-type quarters for employees assigned to assist the administration at the sub-divisional and block levels or rationalise transfer and posting.

For instance, lower rung employees may be given home posting or within his/her home district.

Though it seems infeasible at this juncture, improvement in condition of the roads in the interior pocket might help in realising the goal for bringing efficient administration in the outlying areas.

In case basic needs could not be ensured, then there is strong possibility of ugly stand-offs when district or block level officials try to forcibly impose the order.