Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Jun 03 : The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) department in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district is facing an acute shortage of staff, forcing retired employees to run food distribution centres in several areas.
Speaking to the news agency, the local residents of Litter Shahoora, Prichoo and many other areas have raised concerns over this arrangement, urging the department to deploy regular, in-service employees to ensure accountability and seamless delivery of essential services.
“One of the government distribution centres at Manzpora Litter is currently being run by two retired employees of the department. While they are trying their best, they may get engaged with personal responsibilities or emergencies. In such a case, who will be held accountable if something goes wrong?” said a local resident.
Residents have appealed to the concerned authorities, especially the Food and Supplies officials, to appoint a permanent staff member to the location. “Having a regular official will serve both the public and the department better,” they said.
According to sources within the FCSCA Pulwama, the staff shortage has reached a critical stage, with most employees holding multiple charges—some overseeing three to five sales depots at once.
Officials revealed that the department has not received any significant recruitment since 2013, even though over 200 employees have retired in the past decade. During the same period, only 15–20 new employees have been inducted.
Despite the advertisement of over 100 posts—including storekeepers, Kandamen, and depot assistants—since 2013, no appointments have been made. “While candidates in other districts who were selected through the same recruitment process have even been promoted, Pulwama continues to grapple with the same unresolved issues,” an official said.
The backlog is largely due to litigation. In 2014–15, a recruitment shortlist was challenged in court after aspirants alleged discrepancies in the criteria used. Since then, the case has been in judicial limbo, bringing the entire recruitment process to a halt.
The staffing crisis is so dire that even watchmen and helpers are managing multiple sale depots, while officials at the district and tehsil headquarters hold additional depot responsibilities—hampering the overall efficiency of the department.
Adding to the woes is the absence of a full-time Assistant Director (AD) for the district. The position has been lying vacant since 30 September 2024, with the AD of Shopian holding additional charge. However, the official’s primary presence in Shopian has left residents of distant areas like Tral, Khrew, Aripal, and Sangervani in distress, often returning without their issues being addressed.
Aspirants who had applied for various posts in the department are now appealing to the government to expedite the stalled recruitment process and appoint a full-time Assistant Director for Pulwama without further delay.
They emphasize that addressing the staff shortage is essential not only for administrative efficiency but also to ensure that the residents of the district receive uninterrupted access to basic food and civil supplies.
Meanwhile, an official of the department said that five employees of Pulwama who were working in different mills have been sent to Pulwama while the posts are being referred as the process has been taken up
