Two cadre expansion and strengthening of offices to be done: ACS

A high-level review meeting was held on Wednesday with the Tehsil Welfare Officers Association, chaired by Himachal Pradesh Government’s Additional Chief Secretary (Social Justice and Empowerment), Shyam Bhagat Negi. The meeting focused on the implementation of departmental schemes at the grassroots level and the various challenges faced by field officers.
In the meeting, Tehsil Welfare Officer Association President Surinder Bimta reiterated the demand for strengthening the field offices with the provision of modern computers, high-speed internet and further strengthening of infrastructure to digitize the work at the tehsil level.
While informing the officers about the stagnation in promotions and cadre expansion, he said that currently the opportunities for promotion are very limited, which affects the enthusiasm of the officers. The union urged for expediting the cadre expansion and promotion process. Apart from this, the union demanded filling up of vacant posts and basic facilities in the offices on priority basis and providing vehicle facility for commuting in inaccessible areas so that along with increasing the efficiency of the department, public welfare schemes can be easily delivered to the eligible beneficiaries.
Additional Chief Secretary Shyam Bhagat Negi assured the union representatives that the department would soon take necessary steps to strengthen field-level offices. He stated that departmental expansion would be seriously considered to end the stagnation in promotions, ensuring timely promotions for officers and maintaining their morale. He added that every possible improvement would be ensured for the effective implementation of welfare schemes.
Director (SC, ST, OBC) Sumit Khimta, Under Secretary Dr. Gopal Krishna, General Secretary of Tehsil Welfare Officer Association Nitish Kumar, Tehsil Welfare Officer Devendra Kumar, Chanchal, Jagdish, Kamalkant, Karan Pathak, Vipul, Govind and Subhash were present in the meeting.