Srinagar,Nov 18: With key positions lying vacant in the department of Horticulture (Planning and Marketing), the Valley’s fruit industry has adversely been affected due to lack of marketing strategy in and outside the state.
 Sources said the department meant for the promotion of local fruit industry has been rendered “useless” as most of its branches in and outside the state are rudderless.
 According to sources the department is without two key divisional level officers— Deputy Directors for Kashmir and Jammu— and Deputy Directors, Central and Delhi. The department is also without a Joint Director.
 “The position of Joint Director,” according to sources, “fell vacant due to retirement of M S Teli on January 31, 2012.”
 Curiously, earlier the position of Deputy Director, Kashmir became available due to promotion of Teli as Joint Director in December 2011 and the position of Deputy Director Jammu had fallen vacant due to retirement of Z A Jan in Feb 2012.
 Besides, positions of Area Marketing Officers and Assistant Directors both in and outside the state are lying vacant for the past two years at different fruit mandis.
  “Absence of officers at different fruits mandis outside J&K creates problems for the local fruit exporters,” sources said.
 They said the work in the department has also been badly affected as the government has not provided officers to man these positions.
 According to sources, the posts of Area Marketing Officers and Assistant Directors are vacant in Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, Amritsar, Jaipur, Bangalore, Chennai and Pulwama.
 There are no officers to man the positions of Assistant Director Planning, Assistant Director Marketing and Assistant Director Transport.
 Sources said the last Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) was held in 1987. “During the past 25 years no DPC has been convened, with the result the seniority list is not being issued,” they said.
 Officials in the department said there are clear-cut orders from General Administration Department (GAD) that every department should update seniority list of its officers/officials in month of January every year.
 The fruit dealers/growers also express their concern over leaving the key positions in the department unfilled.
 “The non-availability of some key officers in the department is not good for the horticulture sector,” they said.
 When contacted, Director Horticulture (P&M), Atta Rehman, said: “We have taken up this issue and in coming days we will fill up all the vacant posts in the department.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST