| Posted in Srinagar, officers bask in Jammu warmth | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 23: Even as everything seems to freeze in Kashmir, many officials posted here look for excuses to be officially in Jammu, which is comparatively warmer.
Such officials have been spending most of the time in Jammu, pleading that they have to attend official meetings with their ministers or commissioners in the Civil Secretariat Jammu. Since the day Durbar shifted to Jammu in November, the officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, particularly the SMC Commissioner Showkat Ahmed Zargar, is often absent from his office chambers to "attend crucial meeting in Jammu."
Officials said Zargar has been spending most of the time in the winter capital as he goes to Jammu to almost every week. "He has been flying to Jammu on weekly basis," the officials confirmed adding that the expenditure for this "costly trips" is borne by state exchequer. Leave apart the Commissioner, most of the engineers working with SMC, have been spending most of the time in Jammu. Sources said the SE SMC and others in the engineering staff visited Jammu at-least three times in the past around a month. "It looks like Jammu has become the head office of SMC," the insiders said. Same holds true for the officials of the Tourism department's Kashmir wing. "They too spend most of the time in Jammu," said a source. Ironically, to attend a flag off in Jammu, the Director Tourism Kashmir Memood Ahmed Shah recently rushed to Jammu to spend considerable time there. "For a mere photo session in the winter capital, most of the officials unduly burden the state exchequer to bear their travel expenses," said a senior official in the administration. Some days back, a battery of officials posted at the DC Office Srinagar also rushed to Jammu to attend "a very important meeting." In most of the cases, it was learnt these officials remain in Jammu to keep the "ministers and other godfathers in good humor". "These officials are always concerned about their posting so don't want to displease their bosses who are stationed in Jammu during the chilly winter months," the insiders said. There's another reason to camping in Jammu. "Infact families of most of these officials live in Jammu during winters so they look for official excuses to be in Jammu," the insiders said.
Amid this all, normal work at their offices back in Kashmir remains affected. "Every now and then the people stage protests at the SMC head office as the Commissioner is in Jammu," admitted a senior official in the civic body. Observers said it was high time for the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh to personally look into the matter and take "corrective measures." "In a coalition setup, the CM and the Dy CM must enquire how these officials waste public money and time by staying away from their offices only to bask in warmth of other regions with their kith and kin," said a senior official in the General Administration Department pleading anonymity. He said the CM should make GAD issue a circular in this regard to bring accountability in the system. "Otherwise millions are being spent on these undue trips," he said. |
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