Udalguri district administration faces acute staff shortage

From a Correspondent

TANGLA, October 2: How serious is the State Government and the Home Department  about security in a district like Udalguri which is insurgency infested and shares its border with Bhutan and Aruchal Pradesh?

The district is facing acute shortage of high-ranking administrative officials, including SDO (Civil), SDO (S), Project Director DRDA, and three Revenue Circle Officers, since several months. People of the district have been suffering a lot. According to information, there are five Revenue Circle Offices in the district mely Kalaigaon, Khoirabari, Harisinga, Udalguri and Mazbat.  Regular Circle officers are working only in Khoirabari and Mazbat but other three Circle offices, mely Harisinga, Udalguri and Kalaigaon have been attached to three Additiol Deputy Commissioners.

The ADCs have to visit all the Circle Offices time-to-time, besides discharging their own duties, causing inconvenience for the people who visit either the DC’s office or Circle Offices daily. The posts of SDO (Civil) at sub-divisiol HQ, Bhergaon and SDO (Sadar), Udalguri have too been attached to DN Hazarika, ADC, Udalguri who has also been serving as the Revenue Circle Officer at Kalaigaon. The post of Project Director DRDA, Udalguri too has been lying vacant for a long time.

BJ Manta, ADC, Udalguri has been given additiol charge of PD, DRDA, Udalguri. He further has been given additiol charge of the Harisinga Revenue Circle and Bhergaon Development Block. The post of BDO at Bhergaon Development Block is lying vacant too. The post of DIPRO (District Information and Public Relation Officer) has been lying vacant since the creation of Udalguri district. Media persons of Udalguri district have been deprived of many facilities with no officer to look after the office. Media fraternity of Udalguri district has been demanding appointment of a permanent DIPRO at Udalguri. But nothing has been done so far.

Udalguri district administration is facing shortage of Assistant Commissioners, formerly known as EACs. Out of five regular ACs in the district, four posts are vacant causing big setback to normal functioning of the district administration as all prelimiry investigation and field visits are normally done by ACs. The post of Superintendent of Excise and Sub-Register are vacant, making the district administration nearly non-functiol.