Ganderbal: Several administrative posts, including those of Tehsildars and Block Development Officers (BDOs), remain vacant in Ganderbal district, with officials reportedly holding additional charges of multiple areas, raising concerns among locals over delays in public services.
Local resident Furkan Ahmad said the arrangement has put additional pressure on officers while also causing inconvenience to people who have to travel between different offices for routine revenue and development-related work.
He cited the example of Kangan, where the Tehsildar is also holding additional charge of Gund and Ganderbal. “One officer cannot cater to three places back-to-back,” he said, adding that files and public grievances require adequate time and attention.
Furkan said the issue particularly affects people who depend on revenue offices for routine documentation and other official work, claiming that tasks that could otherwise be completed quickly are sometimes taking considerably longer.
He also raised concerns over additional charges in the rural development sector, particularly in Gund, which he described as a large and important area with significant public and tourism-related activity.
“The officers are also human beings. If one officer is given the charge of three positions, it becomes difficult for him to give proper attention to every file and every public grievance,” he said.
The locals also urged the administration and the government to fill vacant posts at the earliest and ensure that each area has dedicated officers.
He said the issue should be addressed not only in the revenue and rural development departments but also in other sectors where vacancies are affecting public services.
Furkan appealed to Admin to look into the matter on priority, saying that filling vacant posts would help reduce the burden on existing officials and make public services more accessible.
Locals hope that the administration will review the additional-charge arrangements and take steps to ensure that people do not have to make repeated visits or travel between different areas for routine official work.
