Arun Singh
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 2: Although strengthening of service cadre in government departments is a continuous process for improving efficiency and effectiveness of work culture, the government has turned a deaf ear to the proposal of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests as regards the revision of Recruitment Rules.
The file was alleged to be gathering dust in the civil secretariat since 2007, ie for nearly a decade, according to official sources.
The J&K Forest Non-Gazetted Subordinate Service Recruitment Rules were framed in 1991. "Even with the introduction of centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in 2004, which envisage increase in forest cover and the requirement of digitization of records in forest department, no change has been made in the recruitment rules," they said.
Sources said the forest department submitted the proposal of revised recruitment rules to the state government in 2007 and unfortunately its approval was still awaited. Moreover, the J&K Forest Gazetted (Service) Recruitment Rules framed in 1970, which were later amended in 1981, had not been considered for revision by the government till date, sources alleged.
The director finance of the forest department had forwarded a copy of the reply addressed by the principal chief conservator of forests to the department's principal secretary wherein it was stated that the revised Recruitment Rules for gazetted as well as non-gazetted cadres, submitted to the government in 2007, were still pending for the government consideration.
"This shows the government apathy to improve the department which was allegedly fraught with the issues like management of forest resources, development of degraded forest area, protection of forest estates, conservation of soil and preservation of water bodies, wildlife protection and fulfilling of social obligations," sources said.. |
