Vacancies galore in Bhadrak collectorate

BHADRAK: Visitors making a beeline before various departments and a handful of officials hopping from one office to another to cope with the mad rush is a common sight in the Collectorate here. The office has been a witness to such a mess for the last three years. Sources said only two deputy collectors are left to handle 13 departments.  The post of the Sub-Collector has been lying vacant for a fortnight now. To cap it,  Additional Sub-Collector Sarat Biswal hardly manages to hold the Sub-Collector’s criminal court. The staff crisis has hit functioning of the office. While around 25,000 pension holders await pension, over 800 Dalits have been making rounds of the office for permission to dispose of their lands. Scores of pending land disputes remain unresolved.The officials reporting for duty are  overworked. Biswal alone oversees land dispute cases in three tehsils - Bonth, Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar. He also dabbles as the District Project Coordinator of Sarva Sikshya Abhijan apart from managing the Department of Consolidation. Besides, Biswal is in charge of the Additional Sub-Collector’s office in Kendujhar. “I have to organise the Janasunai camp in Bonth block,” Biswal said. Deputy Collectors Md Ajfar and Renuprabha Nayak go through similar grind. Afjar shuttles between the office of Election Officer, the Executive Magistrate Court, Revenue Department of the Sub-Collector, Road Transport Office, Establishment Department and the Sub-Register Officer.  Nayak multi-tasks handling the Audit Department, Record room, RTI cell, Nizarat and Special Certificate Department. Besides, she heads the General and Miscellaneous departments. Sources said the four deputy collector posts have been lying vacant for the last four years.Similar fate awaited Suryakanta Padhi who was posted by the State Transport Department as Special Land Acquisition Officer, Dhamra port. He is now in charge of District Revenue, Development, Land Acquisition and Emergency Excise. The staff crunch has affected one sub-division and three blocks in the district. DRDA Project Director, Tehsildar of Bon, Additional tehsildar and Additional Block Development Officer Posts remain vacant. District Collector Akshay Kumar Pani admitted to the shortage of staff and promised to apprise the Secretary of State Revenue Department of the situation.