Though Nabarangpur district was established on October 2, 1992, still it lags behind others in many fields. Vast vacancies in Government posts are found in many departments in the district crippling the works with the common people at the receiving end.
Both the Central and State Governments are giving importance to rural development. For this reason, the Central and the State Governments are giving crores of rupees to panchayats under various schemes. For smooth and safe implementation of various schemes at Panchayat level, the State Government has appointed Panchayat Executive Officers (PEO) in each Panchayat. However, developmental works are being hampered due to lack of PEOs in many Panchayats of Nabarangpur district.
As per information, out of 189 Panchayats in Nabarangpur district, the PEO posts are lying vacant in 73 Panchayats. As a consequence, the existing PEOs are taking the additional charges of other Panchayats and get overburdened.
As a result, the development works of the Panchayats are hindered. According to information, the PEO posts are lying vacant in seven out of 14 Panchayats in Chandahandi block, 12 out of 23 Panchayats in Jharigaon Block, 13 out of 26 Panchayats in Kosagumuda Block, 10 out of 23 Panchayats in Papadahandi Block and five out of 11 Panchayats in Nandahandi block in the district.
In other words, more than half of the PEO posts are lying vacant in these five blocks. Similarly, PEO posts are lying vacant in three out of 12 Panchayats in Dabugaon Block, five out of 13 Panchayats in Nabarangpur Block, five out of 15 Panchayats in Tenthlikhunti Block and five out of 26 Panchayats in Raigarh Block in the district.
PEOs are needed in the Panchayat office for distribution of allowances, disbursal of pensions under various schemes, supervising various developmental works in Panchayat level and allotment of houses under the Prime Minister's Awas Yojana etc.
Besides, the PEOs have the power to supervise all the developmental works going on in the Panchayat level. The people of the tribal dominated Nabarangpur district who live in Panchayat areas seem to be missing out on many Government schemes due to not posting of required number of PEOs in many Panchayats.
Secondly, the PEOs who have taken additional responsibilities are not able to devote much time to their primary responsibilities. As such, the developments of Panchayats are hampered drastically. The people of various Panchayats have demanded to fill up the vacant PEO posts immediately.
Contacted, District Panchayat Officer Sisir Pani said the administration is aware of the fact and had sent a letter in this regard to the higher-ups in the Panchayati Raj Department, urging to fill up the vacant posts of PEOs.