MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, Sept 7: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday announced fully paid study leave to the Jharkhand Administrative Service (JAS) officials and promised bestowing premier service status to the officers in the near future.
“Any state administrative officer who wants to pursue further studies will not only be paid their salary during the period but will also get financial support for the study,” Soren said at an event organised by Jharkhand Administrative Service Association (JASA).
The JASA members had invited the Chief Minister to express their gratitude for bringing back the Old Pension Scheme. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the association of 1,017 officers (total sanctioned strength 1,460) listed down seven other requests.
Assuring to positively consider most of their demands, Soren said, “All your demands related to health service, setting up of a dedicated battalion for each block office, revision in salary, premier status for JAS officials and child care leave will be resolved soon.
“Rest assured, you just have to ensure that the issues reach me and you follow it up by sending reminders to us. I have many things in mind. The state lacks nothing. We have all the resources. Only thing lacking is will power and positive thinking.
“We have so many resources that if we work honestly we can generate money from all sides. For 20 years no one thought of generating revenue from the forest department but when we started collecting just Rs 10, it fetched us Rs 600 crore to Rs 700 crore.”
Soren also assured the association of allotting three acre land at a token amount of Rs 1 per acre in Ranchi district to build the administrative office of the association. “When IAS and IPS officers get it, you should also get it. These are small things,” he said.
He encouraged the officials to see how other states are progressing, make visits to these states to understand their work style and imbibe the good things. He also said that Chief Ministers will come and go but a good system will continue uninterrupted.
Speaking to lagatar24.com, JASA President Ram Kumar Sinha, who thanked Soren for the Old Pension Scheme and presented the association’s requests, said, “The salary revision issue has been pending for more than two years despite the approvals from both the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister. Hope the cabinet takes it up now.”
Sinha further said that the premier service status to JAS officials will ensure that officers’ starting position would be Sub Divisional Officer (SDO), instead of Block Development Officer (BDO) and Circle Officer (CO). He said that Bihar has already done it.
