Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Kishtwar, May 14: People of Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan have decided to hold a protest outside the new office complex of deputy commissioner, the venue for district development board meeting, on Monday against the alleged absenteeism culture in government offices in the area.
During the protest, they would be demanding action against the government employees, who were not attending their duties at Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan, and shifting of offices back to these places from Kishtwar town.
There was no trace of the office of assistant register cooperative society, which was missing from the area for the last 27 years and existed in papers only, according to locals.
As per the details available with Early Times, several residents of Marwah and Warwan were stranded at Kishtwar due to delay in the opening of snow-covered Sinthan Top and Margan Top passes and all of them had decided to assembled at Chowghan Ground here to work out a strategy to put pressure on the government to bring an end to the sufferings of the people living in three tehsils of Marwah sub-division having a population of approximately 50,000 souls as these areas mostly remain cut off from the rest of the world due to heavy snowfall and also due to lack of communication, road and electricity. They were forced to stay at Kishtwar headquarter as majority of the officials posted in these areas do not attend their duties and run their offices from Kishtwar as a result of which they were left with no option other than to stay here even for small works.
"The District Development Board meeting is going to be held on May 16, 2016 at Mini Secretariat, New DC Office Complex, Kishtwar, so all the people of Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan are requested to gather at Chowghan Ground at 10 AM on May 15, 2016 to decide whether we have to protest outside DDB meeting or not because we are suffering from 1989 due to non availability of roads, electricity, telecommunication, non functioning of offices at Marwah and Dachhan," reads the message circulated by Marwah residents on Social Media groups.
Early Times had on Thursday carried out a detailed report on absenteeism culture as several government offices, including anganwari centres, health centres and schools, were found non-functional at Marwah during an inspection conducted by Marwah naib-tehsildar Mohammad Mukhtyar Zarger. On the basis of naib-tehslidar's report, Kishtwar DC Ghulam Nabi Balwan ordered for immediate withholding of salaries of all the absentees employees and to seek explanation from them.
People said that surfacing of 1602 Quintal ration scandal which include missing of 1068 Quintal Rice, 534 Quintal wheat from CAPD stores in Marwah Tehsil, beside non functional of BSNL towers were the key issues of public concern and added that many employees of Dachhan including local teachers and employees were found roaming in open markets in Jammu and at Kishtwar including a teacher of Government Higher Secondary School, Marwah, who, according to locals, hardly attended his duty since the opening of schools after winter break.
It is pertinent to mention that as per the DC's order, Office of Block Development Officer Marwah was found closed since March 17, 2016, Office of Tehsil Supply Officer, Marwah, was closed since August 2015, Offices of Executive Engineer PWD (R&B), CDPO, Marwah, sub-center health Yardoo were found closed since long, Office of Assistant Register Cooperative Society stands shifted, Dr Irshad Ahmed posted at CHC, Marwah, was absent since February 28, 2016, Shahzad Ayoub posted as Lab Technican at CHC Marwah was on leave without sanction since May 1 last, Parveen Banoo FMPHW at CHC Marwah was on medical leave since April 24 last, Ghulam Mohammad Khanday posted as Nursing Orderly at CHC Marwah was absent since April 26 last, Umar Mattoo lecturer at HSS Marwah was absent from May 4 last, Dr Irfaat Qazi posted in Sheep and Wool Development Department reportedly proceeded for Dachhan on April 19 last, Mohammad Iqbal posted as Range Officer Marwah was unauthorisedly absent from March 22 last, Fisheries Department Marwah, PHE Department Marwah, SFC Department Marwah and Wild Life Marwah were functioning at Dachhan, Satish Kumar Bhagat Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer Marwah was on Medical leave since April 25, 2016, Middle School Mithan and Primary School Sidhar were closed since long, all teachers were found absent at Middle School Gurantrar except one Nazir Ahmed, Primary School Shishlan not opened after winter vacations, Anganwari center Sidhar, Mithan, Dhund, Manjgam, Qaderna and Gujjar Basti were closed while the Anganwari workers posted at Anagnwari Center Sudhar, Zaban, Gurantari, Sishlan, Hamdandoo, Hargan and Qaderna were absent
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