KBK region is 'remotely' administered

The Pioneer, 4th April, 2008


The State administration seems to be running the KBK region by remote control as most of the officers are on 'French leave, alleged a senior officer working in the KBK.
The administration has no penetration in these areas and officers are at their sweet will to stay or to go on leave. The Chief Administrator of KBK is a Chief Secretary-rank officer, who hardly finds time to visit KBK and stay for a long period. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner administers these areas from Berhampur, which is as distant as Bhubaneshwar is from Malkangiri.
Perhaps none of the KBK districts has posts of all the officers required to man the requisite jobs. Many districts share a common District Judge, RTO, Agriculture Officer, Vector Control Officer, Veterinary Officer, Weights Control Officer and the like. Even when there are independent officers for the district, they hardly remain in districts. Some are always on tour to Bhubaneswar and a few are on official leave, while others are on 'French leave.'
However, all of these officers are seen in the districts only in the month of March, as they have to clear the bills at the end of the financial year. They pack their briefcases after clearing the bills and go away. There are also many small Government servants who perform their duties remaining far away. Some teachers, as per records, teach every day. But it is a different story that pupils do not attend schools in the absence of teachers. And the mid-day meal scheme rice goes to the Maoists.
Some senior mandarins and top cops occasionally make flying visits coming by helicopters and finishing their works hurriedly before returning. One can meet officers in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack who boast that they were never posted to KBK. Everybody in the top State administration knows the situation, but things have never changed for better.