Delay in holding Departmental Promotion Committees (DPC) meetings has deprived hundreds of employees of J&K Revenue department of the career benefits.
For the past six years, authorities in the department have failed to conduct even a single DPC though as per the norms, such meetings have to be conducted every six months.
An official said many higher posts have been given to the officers on “look after” basis who otherwise were eligible to get promoted to these vacant posts.
In absence of the DPCs, these officers are supposed to deliver all the responsibilities at the post they are assigned to but without actually getting the benefits of the position.
“It means they are not entitled to incentives and other service benefits when they are assigned these posts on ‘look after’ basis,” the official said.
Another official said more than 150 Naib Tehsildars were working on “look after” basis as Tehsildars against the vacant posts.
Similarly, more than 300 Patwaries are working as Naib Tehsildars on the “look after” basis when all of them are eligible for promotion to these posts.
In absence of holding the DPCs, the employees lose seniority in many ways, especially when a person is appointed against vacant post through direct recruitment.
The aggrieved group of revenue officers said that the objective of timely promotions of employees can be ensured only by holding the DPC meetings.
They said many retired government employees missed promotions benefits and suffered financial loss because of delay by the department in holding the DPCs.
“It is unfortunate that not a single DPC has been conducted for the past more than six years,” said a group of aggrieved officials, adding such an approach towards the employees was not only “appalling, but criminal.”
J&K Patwar Association has repeatedly agitated the delay in holding the DPCs. “Patwaris in Kashmir who have been appointed after 1991 are working in the same cadre for the last 24 years. It is injustice with us,” they said. The aggrieved employees said the DPCs must be held without any further delay.
Financial Commissioner, Revenue PawanKotwal said the department plans to conduct the DPC “soon.”