C&RD service rules soon

SHILLONG, APR 5: The state government would soon come up with the Service Rules in the Community & Rural Development Department which will also look into the posting of the block development officers (BDOs) in the different blocks in the state.

“The draft Service Rules of the C&RD department has been prepared and is now waiting the approval of the state cabinet,” C&RD Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said in his reply during the Assembly here on Thursday.

Earlier, he informed that the recruitment of officers and staff in the department is done by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) and District Selection Committees (DSCs) as the case may be.

At the same time, the minister however said that the total number of permanent BDOs that are posted in all the 46 Community & Rural Development Blocks is nil because the department does not have cadres of its own.

Stating the BDOs deputed in all the blocks are from different departments, Dhar said out of the 46, 44 are Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) officers and one each from horticulture and agriculture department.

Viewing the reply of the minister with concern, Congress legislator from Umroi George B Lyngdoh suggested that the BDO should be given full time charge.

He cited that with the BDOs having to attend duties as MCS officers, this has led to problems in the implementation of programmes as they cannot monitor and this also lead to corruption and slow pace of development in the state.

“This has become a big issue especially in the rural areas,” he said. Earlier, Congress MLA from Rambrai-Jyrngam Kimfa Sidney Marbaniang urged the government to come up with rules to ensure BDOs are not burdened with double workload.

Meanwhile, the minister assured that once the service rules of the department is approved the matter will accordingly be examined.

By Our Reporter