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| PHE’s privatization drive proves costly | | | Gopal Gupta
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 4: If the manner in which PHE department has been spending public money on hiring private vehicles is taken into account, Jammu and Kashmir government is seemingly pursing 'illogical and economically awful policy' of privatization of functioning of various departments.
On one hand, the government has been talking of cutting down fruitless expenditure to pep the revenue demands of the state, this mass hiring of private vehicles by PHE department at exorbitant rents is making the whole effort go down the drain. Moreover, there is no check on the need for hiring these vehicles.
Officials of PHE department maintain that hiring vehicles is important for speeding up public works. However, insiders maintain that this has led to drivers of PHE department engaged for the purpose of running official vehicles sitting idle and awaiting their retirement from the department.
They alleged that PHE department was among some of the departments which implemented High Court order of replacing the old vehicles. In this drive, according to drivers, the PHE department threw out around 80 vehicles which included trucks, load carriers, tankers, jeeps and other commercial vehicles.
They said that while throwing out the old vehicles was an easier task, purchasing new vehicles was not only troublesome but extremely difficult. Department got around 40 vehicles of which 20 tankers were given by ERA and some other vehicles came in the district plan of Kathua, Doda, Poonch and Kishtwar respectively.
If drivers of PHE department are to be believed, department has no trucks to carry the items including Motors, pipes, bleaching powder, alum and other machinery used in the water distribution. Department is hiring private trucks to manage the work and hence, has been allowing private owners to run the show on contract basis.
Drivers informed that there are around 115 drivers, 70 cleaners and 70 helpers working in Jammu province. They added that these posts are in the department for last around 30 years and while the working area of PHE department has been increasing with each passing day, departmental has not vehicles to cater to the expansion.
Drivers further maintained that most of the officers of the department hire private vehicles and the rent of these vehicles is given by the department and in this entire episode drivers, helpers and cleaners of the department are suffering. Under this pretext, they said that none of the daily wager have been regularized after 1994.
Drivers added that travel allowance has been stopped to them after 1990 and also not given two and half-a-day salary which was approved by the department. They stated that the policy of PHE department clearly shows that privatization is taking over which is affecting the common masses and benefits only the private owners and higher officials.
They asserted that the department has even failed to give uniform to the drivers. Members of PHE Driver Cleaner Union said that High Court ordered the department in 2006 to give uniform to the drivers and cleaners besides calling for replacement of old vehicles. Officials said that high court ordered for grey colour uniform for government drivers alongwith jacket and shoes.
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