Clerk handles 21 villages in Jind’s Aleva BDPO office

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jind, April 23

Despite tall claims of development, a clerk has been the running the Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO), Aleva, and 21 villages in its jurisdiction. All other clerical posts are lying vacant.

There is one sanctioned post of BDPO, SCPO, head clerk, Assistant (JRY), Assistant (General), Patwari and two posts of JEs. But the office is headless since the BDPO, RD Sahni, retired six months ago. The additional charge was given to Safidon BDPO, Ram Dutt Sharma, who visits this office once a week.

Apart from the BDPO, all other posts fell vacant during 2012-2013 and since then no new staff has been posted here affecting the pace of development in this backward area of Jind. Since all rural developmental grants are routed through this office, a majority of the villages have been waiting for the release of grants for more than two-three years.

“There is no development in our village. Whenever we visit various offices, they say they the grant has been sent to the BDPO office but the clerk here is overburdened with work to even trell us the status of grants,” said Manvir Singh, a resident of Aleva standing outside the BDPO office.

Some other villagers from Kanda, Kohra, Dhigana, Chuhadpur, Mand and Dudana also levelled similar allegations.

“I alone have to deal with the work of the BDPO, SCPO, head clerk, Assistants, JEs and Patwaris. How can I cope with the work of 21 villages? I have applied for a VRS and will retire on May 31,” said Kashmiri Lal, the lone clerk who runs the BDPO office.

Safidon BDPO Ram Dutt Sharma, who also has the additional charge of Aleva, said they have written to the government for staff and some people would join in the coming days.