Over 400 JK Roads dept officials at same posting beyond tenure

Over 400 officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Roads and Buildings Department have been enjoying posting at the same place beyond the government-stipulated tenure of three years.
Official sources said that in majority of such cases, overstaying of engineers and other officials was due to political pressure or corruption.
The practice was affecting the overall working of the department and the pace of work on various projects, they said.
As many as 406 officials of the department, including Assistant Executive Engineers, Assistant Engineers, Junior Engineers and Draftsmen, have been posted at the same place for more than three years and in some case even more than 10 years, the department said in response to a series of RTI queries.

Roads and Buildings Minister Naeem Akhtar, who was given the portfolio in the recent reshuffle in the state cabinet, said there were many issues facing the department, including promotions and transfers.
"These are priority areas for me and I have sought necessary information. We will be addressing these issues very soon," he told PTI.

He said the process of streamlining the department will be taken up on priority so that the stagnation of the employees is also addressed.
As per a state Cabinet decision in 2010, the minimum tenure of a government employee, except those in the Education Department, on a particular post should be at least two years and maximum three years.

The order allows posting of an officer for up to five years at the same place in case it is extremely necessary for time-bound completion of a project or a scheme.
As many as 196 engineers of various ranks in the Roads and Buildings Department have been posted at the same place for more than three years while another 102 such officials have not been moved from their place of posting for the past four years.
Over 50 engineers have not been shifted from their place of posting for over five years, while 18 officials of the department have stayed at the same post for seven years now.

Ten engineers have enjoyed same posting for eight years, while 11 others continue in the same post for the past nine years.
One official of the department has been posted at same place for last 15 years, the RTI responses have revealed.
As per the records in the Chief Engineering Office, R&B Kashmir, Draftsman Muzamil Nazir has been posted in R&B Circle Anantnag-Kulgam for last 15 years.
Another Draftsman has been posted in the Direction Office for 11 years without being transferred.
The reason given by the responding authorities through the Public Information Officer for the overstay of the employees was that "the matter pertains to higher authorities".