Posts lying vacant, services at sub-tehsil office affected

Office work at the sub-tehsil office in Raja ka Talab, located in the Fatehpur subdivision of Kangra district, is severely affected due to shortage of staff, with 10 out of 12 sanctioned posts lying vacant. Residents from nearby gram panchayats, who visit the office for revenue or sub tehsil-related work, are frustrated as they are forced to travel to the tehsil headquarters in Fatehpur to get their work done.

The Raja ka Talab sub-tehsil office started functioning over two years ago, in 2022, during the tenure of the Jairam Thakur government, which sanctioned 12 posts to make the office operational. However, only two posts — naib tehsildar and office kanungo — were filled, and with the change of government, the remaining 10 posts, including clerical and class four positions, have yet to be filled.

This staff shortage has made it difficult for the office to operate effectively, leaving residents dissatisfied. The sanctioned but unfilled positions include clerks, a senior assistant, a junior assistant (IT), two process servers, a part-time sanitary worker, and three class-four employees. The lack of staffing has persisted since the office’s inception.

Local residents have urged the state government to fill the vacant posts to ensure the smooth functioning of the sub tehsil office. Fatehpur SDM Vishrut Bharti has confirmed that the higher authorities have been informed about the vacant posts. While some appointments have been ordered by the state government through the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, none of the employees have joined the office at Raja ka Talab yet.

Residents irked

This staff shortage has made it difficult for the office to operate effectively, leaving residents dissatisfied. The sanctioned but unfilled positions include clerks, a senior assistant, a junior assistant (IT), two process servers, a part-time sanitary worker, and three class-four employees. The lack of staffing has persisted since the office’s inception.