Additional charge syndrome prevails in RDD; 1 BDO given charge of 4 blocks

Srinagar, Jul 31: The Rural Development Department (RDD) has been left on crutches as key positions of Block Development Officers (BDOs) in north Kashmir remain unfilled for months.

The move has hampered the day to day affairs of the department at the grass root level in the rural areas, particularly Kupwara district.

An official said that rendering key positions of BDOs vacant has defeated the sole purpose of the department in driving the sustainable and inclusive growth in rural areas.

“The block offices play an important role for execution of different development works sanctioned through different state and centrally sponsored schemes for rural areas. But keeping block offices headless delays execution of works,” an official told Greater Kashmir.

The official said the department assigns additional charge of headless Blocks to other BDOs who are already overburdened with the workload.

“This additional charge syndrome has marred the effective implementation of the schemes aimed at improving the basic living standards of the rural population,” the official said.

Given the dearth of BDOs, the department has given charge of four blocks to a single BDO in Kupwara

district which has marred the effective governance at the grass root level.

On July 27 of 2025, the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara assigned the additional charge of BDO Drugmulla to BDO Nutnusa.

As per the order, the arrangement was made in view of the transfer of BDOs on July 19 of 2025 resulting in “acute shortage” of BDOs in Kupwara district. “The transfer has resulted in the acute shortage of the BDOs in the peak working season,” the order reads.

In wake of this, DC Kupwara has assigned additional charge of headless blocks to other BDOs.

“Arrangement is made to overcome the dearth and in the interest of administrative convenience and to ensure proper administrative functioning and service delivery,” the order reads.

As per the order, BDO Rajwara and Magam has been assigned additional charge of Block Mawer.

Also, BDO Machill who is already holding additional charge of Block Sogam, and Wavoora has been assigned the additional charge of Block Kupwara.

“BDO Kupwara is hereby transferred and posted as BDO Langate with additional charge of Block Qaziabad and Handwara,” reads an order issued by DC Kupwara.

As per the order, BDO Kralpora has assigned the additional charge of Block Reddi Chowkibal, Block Tangdar and Block Teetwal. “The order is issued to streamline the administrative operations of the district during the peak working season and for proper deliverance of administrative efficiency,” the order reads. However an official said the RDD has failed to strengthen the blocks by keeping key positions of BDOs vacant in many blocks. “BDO Machill has to travel to Kupwara and then to Sogam and Wavoora and then go back to Machill. This is not humanly possible for one BDO to manage charge of three or four blocks,” the official said.

Minister for Rural Development Department (RDD) Javid Ahmad Dar earlier told Greater Kashmir that the department was in the process of filling all the vacant positions of BDOs in all the blocks.