57 Kashmir blocks functioning without permanent BDOs, rural development schemes hit hard

Srinagar, May 20: The functioning of the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Development Department (RDD) has come under severe strain as 57 blocks across Kashmir are operating without permanent Block Development Officers (BDOs), adversely impacting the implementation of key rural welfare and development schemes, officials said.

According to official sources, out of 139 blocks spread across the 10 districts of Kashmir, 57 are currently being managed through “additional charge” arrangements, a practice that has continued for nearly two years.

Officials said that several BDOs and Village Level Officers (VLOs) are simultaneously handling multiple blocks, leading to administrative overload and poor monitoring of development activities.

The Rural Development Department, responsible for poverty alleviation, rural infrastructure development, employment generation and sanitation management in rural areas, has allegedly failed to fill vacant BDO posts despite approvals and directions issued earlier this year.

“In many cases, one BDO has been assigned charge of three to four blocks. It is not humanly possible for one officer to effectively manage multiple blocks spread across far-flung rural areas. Monitoring projects, conducting inspections and holding review meetings become extremely difficult,” a senior official said.

Officials said the delay in appointing permanent BDOs has institutionalised what they described as an “additional charge syndrome” within the department.

The shortage has severely affected the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes, particularly works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G).

Officials said activities such as scientific solid waste management, liquid waste disposal and door-to-door waste collection in rural areas have suffered considerably due to the absence of dedicated officers at the block level.

“Housing projects under the Prime Minister’s rural housing scheme and several administrative-level construction works are also getting delayed because officers are already burdened with multiple assignments,” the official said.

As per the recruitment rules of the department, 50 percent of BDO posts are to be filled through direct recruitment by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), while the remaining posts are reserved for promotions.

“However, neither direct recruitment nor promotions have taken place during the last two years,” the official said.

Sources said candidates selected against vacant and double-charge BDO positions had already completed appointment formalities, including verification processes and waiting list clearances, but formal appointment orders are still awaited.

“Despite all required procedures having been completed, the appointment orders have not been issued,” the official said.

Officials further revealed that a communication dated January 27, 2026, had directed the Rural Development Department to complete the process within 10 days, but no progress has been made even after four months.

The prolonged vacancies, officials said, have also affected the utilisation and transfer of rural development funds, including district development allocations and constituency development funds of legislators.

“The delay in filling vacant BDO posts has brought developmental activities at the grassroots level close to a standstill. Implementation of welfare and employment schemes in rural areas depends heavily on block-level administration, but the current system is hampering development,” the official said.

The issue has already surfaced prominently in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, where the shortage of BDOs has reportedly affected the implementation of MGNREGA works.

Recently, the Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Kupwara ordered withholding of salaries and honorariums of 10 BDOs and field functionaries over what was described as “extremely poor” performance in execution of works and generation of person-days under MGNREGA.

Official records revealed that only 10 BDOs are currently overseeing 22 blocks in the Kupwara district, with several officers holding additional charge of multiple blocks simultaneously.

In certain cases, a single officer is managing four blocks, while others are overseeing two or three blocks each.

According to the order issued by the ACD Kupwara, the district administration found the performance under MGNREGA during the first quarter of the financial year 2026-27 “extremely poor and unsatisfactory” against assigned labour budget targets.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javaid Ahmad Dar, could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.