Adhocism is becoming part and parcel of governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as several top bureaucrats and officers are heading more than one department.
Repeated assurances to do away with this system have proved to be hoax, governance continues to be afflicted in the UT by overburdening the officers on responsible positions. A cursory look at the hierarchy of the State’s bureaucracy brings to fore that several administrative secretaries are holding additional charges of different departments and institutions.
Bipul Pathak, who is Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor, is holding additional charge of Information Technology and Science Technology departments. He is also discharging responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer of Jammu and Kashmir e-governance Agency.
Sources revealed that Dheeraj Gupta, who is heading the Housing & Urban Development department, is also Principal Resident Commissioner, J&K Government New Delhi. He is also holding charge of Smart Cities and proposed metropolitan regional development authorities for Srinagar and Jammu.
Asgar Samoon is also heading two departments- Animal Husbandry and Transport. Navin Kumar Choudhary, who is Principal Secretary Industries and Commerce, is also saddled with responsibility of Tourism department.
Dr. Pawan Kotwal, who is Financial Commissioner Revenue, has also been assigned with additional charge of Registration Department which was created due to re-organisation of the State into two UTs, sources said.
The department was created for registration of documents pertaining to immovable property like sale, gift, mortgage and lease. Before bifurcation of the State, the registration was the domain of judiciary.
Rohit Kansal, who is Principal Secretary Planning , Development and Monitoring, is also holding additional charges of Hospitality and Protocol, Estates, Civil Aviation and Information departments. Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, who is administrative head of Forest, Ecology and Environment department, is also holding charge of Social Welfare department, sources revealed said.
Hirdesh Kumar, who is administrative head of Power Development Department, is also helming Power Development Corporation. Pandurang Pole, Secretary of Disaster Management, Relief , Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, is also holding charge of Secretary of Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
Raju, Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation, is also discharging his responsibilities as Excise Commissioner, J&K. Manzoor Ahmad Lone, who is administrative secretary of Horticulture department, is also heading Agriculture Production Department. (KNO)