The government’s alleged move to create the post of District Administrative Officers and appoint Deputy Secretaries in these posts in the place of Deputy Collectors has drawn flak with the officials and other employees in the Revenue Department coming out against such a move.
The Pay Commission had recommended creation of a new post of District Revenue Officer and had suggested appointing senior most Deputy Collectors to the post. “Contrary to this, a new post of District Administrative Officer is now being mooted,” Revenue Department sources said.
They alleged that the new post of District Administrative Officer in place of District Revenue Officer was for appointing officials from the state Secretariat.
“When persons from the Secretariat are appointed to these posts, vacancies are created, which is looked upon by some for getting promoted,” they charged.
Kerala Land Revenue Staff Association state president P S Rajeev said that they have given recommendations to the Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister.”The Revenue Minister told us that a decision will be taken at the earliest,” he said.
“We are those who work with the people. Those working in the Secretariat do not have any contact with the people. So we demand that the move to create the post of District Administrative Officer be scrapped and the recommendation of the Pay commission implemented,” he said.
Rajeev also said that the functioning of the Revenue Department will be affected if people who have no links with the people are appointed to key posts. Stating that the Revenue Department was under staffed, he said that the association was demanding that more staff should be recruited.
“There was also a Pay Commission recommendation to appoint at least one village assistant. When the other departments have more staff, most of the village offices are just functioning with five or less staff,” he said.
There were also allegations that some persons in the Chief Minister’s office were behind the move to create the District Administrative Officer post instead of the District Revenue Officer post.