Mangaluru: Aggrieved officials and staff members, under Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat piled a series of complaints against the prevailing diktat culture and enormous workload to express their dissent in front of DK Zilla Panchayath office in Mangaluru on April 3.
They complained of mounting pressure on the functioning of Panchayath Development Officers (PDOs) and secretaries using technology, by not adopting user friendly applications. Reports on progress are sought frequently and the impractical demands make life difficult, they said referring to the GPS data upload in housing schemes. Without understanding the technical problems, PDOs are held accountable, they alleged. Silly errors have been highlighted in MGNAREGA schemes where DK has made good progress, they pointed.
PDOs are summoned during Lokayktha and ACB raids where they end up being witnesses and staff are deputed to other departments which cause delay, they complained.
Orders are issued on Whatsapp at will and hence PDOs have decided to exit from the group with options running out, they said.
Salaries of PDOs and secretaries must be brought under Sakala and delay in payment of salaries and benefits must be avoided, they urged.
Cases against PDOs are referred to Lokayuktha without departmental enquiry; they said and sought a nodal officer to address their grievances in a system where GPs come under ZP directly.
Salaries must be on par with the central government employees with proper service and security guidelines incorporated, they urged while demanding recruitment /filling vacant posts through a proper system. They sought bifurcation in duties of clerk and computer operators from the current combined structure.
Increased reservation and promotions should be accorded not on merit, but on experience, they said and demanded a roll back in state government order dated 10.09.2014 and restoration of pension scheme prior to 2006.
Under no circumstances they should be made to work on Sundays and Government holidays, they insisted.
Prakash Shetty, President of Dakshina Kannada PDOs and Employees Association led the entire aggrieved staff during the day.
