Suhail Rather
Bandipora, Dec 08: In a glaring example of sorry state of affairs in the administration, a junior assistant is running the show of Handicrafts Departments at district headquarters in Bandipora.
The department has been left handicapped as it has been left headless from past few months. Though the additional charge havebeen given to the Assistant Director Handicrafts Baramulla but the sources said the officer has visited the office only once in three months. Surprisingly only one Junior Assistant deputed in the District Office at mini secretariat is running the affair of the department while 39 employees have been posted in the field in various tehsils.
The artisans or the aggrieved persons visiting the office have to return dejected as no one is there to listen to their grievances as locals said the absence of officer at Bandipora, has resulted in pilling up of files and people are aghast as their problems are not getting addressed.
Locals alleged the government of making the department defunct and putting the artisans high and dry.
They said there are nearly 2.50 lacs artisans directly dependent upon handicrafts in the State for their livelihood and in Bandipora also there are thousands of artisans for whom the handicrafts department could have played a role to uplift their socio-economic status besides boosting the handicrafts sector in the district that could have generated more employment.
“There is still great potential for more employment to be generated in this sector if markets are expanded and demand is increased and that is the job of handicraft department but they are in slumber,” said an artisan adding that presently handicrafts earn around Rs.1700 crores as foreign exchange every year in the state.
They said the government seems to have forgotten this department or they are deliberately ignoring this department to ruin this sector.
Artisans said there are severalstate as well as centrally sponsored schemes in vogue which are bound to be executed before the end of financial year.
“Despite knowing all these facts, the officer posted in the office doesn’t seem to deliver at Bandipora. “Even approval for various loan cases is pending due tobnegligence of officers at the helm of affairs”.
Sources said the pathetic part of the scene is some files pertain to loan cases are pending from last 18 months.
“We are being ignored deliberately and absence of so many top administrative officials is an ample proof of non-serious of the government in resolving the issues of artisans and boosting the handicrafts sector,@ said and artisan Abdul Rashid adding that when an official is asked to discharge his duty at more than two places, it is difficult for him to remain physically present at both the places as a result Bandipora Handicrafts office suffers.
