Development suffers as Jharkhand bureaucrats have too much on their plates

Ranchi, June 9: Too many departments and not many bureaucrats. That's the way the Jharkhand government is functioning. The result is worrisome: the top bureaucrats are overburdened as they handle several key profiles and the pace of development is sluggish, says the opposition.

Even though the number of government departments have been reduced from 45 to 31, it seems that shortage of capable bureaucrats is affecting the smooth functioning.

Officials are holding additiol charges for the cabinet, planning and fince, environment, power, water resources, forest and environment and IT departments.

And certain departments do not have a full-time director. For example, Sukhdeo Singh, a bureaucrat with Principal Secretary rank, is responsible for key departments like water resources, forest and environment. But he is also the Maging Director of the Greater Ranchi Development Authority (GRDA).

Four bureaucrats with Chief Secretary rank are holding additiol charges as well.

Additiol Chief Secretary N.N. Pandey, who handles the home department, also holds the additiol charge of the cabinet department. Development Commissioner Amit Khare has the additiol responsibility of the planning and fince department.

Sanjay Kumar, the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Raghubar Das, has the additiol charge of information and public relations department, while the Chief Minister's Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal has the additiol charge of the IT department.

Senior IAS officer U.P. Singh is holding the charge of mining department besides being the chairman of the Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation. He is also the Mines Commissioner, Investment Commissioner and the Resident Commissioner.

Rahul Purwar, who is in charge of the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd, has been given the additiol responsibility of the Secretary of Power Department. Purwar's additiol responsibility became inevitable after the then power department secretary S.K. Rahate went on leave as he didn't want to change the conditions for the Adani power plant which is being built in the state.

Rural works department secretary M.R. Mee is holding the additiol charge of the road construction department. The budget of the rural works and road departments notches up to Rs 6,300 crore.

It's not that the overburdened bureaucrats are happy. "The additiol charge overburdens an official and affects the performance.  (IANS)