‘Public representations being disposed without reading them’
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Taking a pot-shot at the casualism and red tape prevailing in the highest offices of the country, Chairman JKNPP and former Minister, Harsh Dev Singh expressed his antipathy and disgust with the manner the grievances and complaints of the public are being dealt with by majority of the Union Ministries including those under the charge of the worthy Prime Minister.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, Harsh said that while on certain occasions, the public representations are being disposed of by the said ministers without going through their contents, several public complaints are forwarded to subordinate officers who never responded or initiated any action thereupon. He said that the tall claims of the high offices regarding redressal of the grievances of the public through representations and complaints were largely for media consumption only with facts loudly defying the government assertions. Making a particular mention of a petition made to the Prime Minster holding the charge of Ministry of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and Public Grievances, Harsh said that he had represented to the former regarding the blatant violation by the J and K State Government of IAS (cadre) 2nd Amendment Rules 2016 as duly notified by the Department of DoPT, GoI. He said that he had petitioned to the PM that the said rules which prohibited the premature transfers of IAS officers without a valid reason, without such reasons having been recorded in writing and without the recommendation of ‘Civil Services Board’ had been violated by the State Government in issuing the premature transfer of Shahid Iqbal from District Udhampur which needed the due cognisance of DoPT. He said that in his petition he had made a mention of the State, national and international awards conferred upon Shahid Iqbal for his meritorious and outstanding services. He said that petition had further stated that the pre-mature transfer of a highly decorated officer and that too in violation of DiPT rules had demoralised the honest and dedicated officers of the State which needed due cognizance of the PM as Minister in-Charge DoPT.
Expressing his dismay over the reply of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Trainings received after around two and a half months, Singh said that the former had stated that the Chief Secretary of the J and K State had been directed to take ‘appropriate action’ in respect of the ‘complaint’ filed against Shahid Iqabal. He deplored that the reply amply revealed that it had been disposed off without going through the contents thus reflecting upon the functioning of the highest office of the country. He regretted that the very pith and substance of the representation had been altered due to the casual, nauseating approach of the concerned authorities and a letter of appreciation misrepresented as a letter of complaint. Besides the Ministry of Personnel which had to take cognizance of the violation of DoPT rules by the State Government instead wrote to the State Government itself defying all logic and rationale and merely for adding yet another representation to the so called “record number” of public grievances addressed by it. Seeking the indulgence of the Prime Minister into such frivolous disposals, Singh said that like episodes had largely unravelled the reputation of the high offices of the country including his own. He further pointed out that several other representations made to Prime Minister and other union ministers during the last one year had gone unattended and un-addressed despite grievances cells constituted by the GoI.
