Jammu Directorate overstaffed, Tourism Dev Authorities short of staff by 60%;
4-5 Class-IV attending one officer each at Jammu head office
Arvind Sharma
Jammu Tawi, Apr 07: The Tourism Department of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Union Territory (UT), headed by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, is a glaring example of the height official neglect and promotion of the attachment culture as all the Tourism Development Authorities (TDAs) of Jammu region are understaffed, while the Tourism Directorate office at Jammu is overstaffed.
The height of the attachment culture in the Tourism Department is such that there are 4 to 5 peons/attendants each in the offices of Tourism Director, Joint Director and Deputy Directors at Jammu.
There are eight (8) Tourism Development Authorities in Jammu region namely, Kishtwar Tourism Development Authority, Bhaderwah Tourism Development Authority, Patni-Top Tourism Development Authority, Mansar-Surinsar Tourism Development Authority, Billawar-Duggan Tourism Development Authority, Bani-Basholi Tourism Development Authority, Rajouri Tourism Development Authority and Poonch Tourism Development Authority.
“All these TDAs of Jammu region are short of staff by 50%-60%,” official sources informed the Northlines, while adding, “the Directorate office at Jammu is overstaffed”.
They said that majority of the staff of all the TDAs of Jammu region, which is supposed to discharge its duties in their respective TDAs, is attached with the Directorate office at Jammu.
The TDA staff, meant for working in the TDAs, is attached with the Directorate office and has been drawing its salary from the TDAs while working in the Directorate office at Jammu under attachment culture, the official sources further informed.
They further informed that out of the total 5 staff members of Rajouri Tourism Development Authority, 3 are attached at Jammu Directorate including Planning Officer and clerk.
Similar is the case of Mansar-Suriansar, Poonch and other TDAs of Jammu region as most of its staff is attached with the Directorate office at Jammu and has been drawing its salary from the TDAs, while working at Jammu Directorate.
The TDAs were created by the government to promote tourism at the micro level all across the Jammu region. Now, in the present scenario the TDAs of Jammu region are having one CEO, one Accounts Officer and one clerk, while the field staff is attached with the Directorate office at Jammu.
“We (CEOs) have requested several times to the higher authorities to provide requisite staff for running the TDAs but despite repeated requests no positive action has so far been taken,” official sources said.
They said that without the requisite staff the TDAs are meaningless and have been serving no purpose in Jammu.
