Most of senior posts in DGIPR vacant in Maharashtra

07-05-14

By Kartik Lokhande 

Even as the Democratic Front (DF) Government is bracing up to face Legislative Assembly polls scheduled a few months from now, it is staring at a problem. Most of the posts of senior officers in Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) are lying vacant.
“With many posts of senior officers lying vacant, how can one expect DGIPR to carry out the mammoth task of unleashing a publicity campaign for the 2009-14 tenure of DF Government?” asked an officer in the department. According to sources, the problem is compounded given the introduction of various working platforms including print copies of press releases, coverage of events lined up before Legislative Assembly elections, video coverage, audio coverage, special features, e-material etc.
According to sources, of a total 33 posts of District Information Officers (DIOs) in equal number of districts in the State, as many as 16 are lying vacant. These include Raigad-Alibaug, Sangli, Satara, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Nanded, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur. Besides, the post of DIO at Nagpur Information Centre also is lying vacant.
Besides, of four posts of Directors, two are lying vacant. The vacancies of Directors are at Pune and Aurangabad. The remaining two Directors headquartered in Mumbai also are superannuating in August and October. Interestingly, this important department of the Government is not having a full-time Secretary. Manisha Mhaiskar is the Principal Secretary of Medical Education Department, and is holding additional charge as Secretary of Department of Information and Public Relations.
In various offices of DGIPR, many positions of Information Assistants also are vacant. Thus, said sources, the senior officers also face problems when it comes to deploying the available Information Assistants to cover different official programmes. Ahead of retirement of trained hands, the Government should have taken steps to fill up the posts through promotions or new appointment. However, added the sources, the file of promotions of Information Assistants, Information Officer, and DIO was pending at the level of the Government.
“Even if the State Government acts fast, clears files pertaining to promotions, and begins the process of filling up posts through direct recruitment, it will still take a minimum of one year to get the things working,” added a source. Further, he added, the Government will have to rope in private agency for handling massive pre-poll publicity campaign.

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