Citizens face hardships as applications are sent to Panaji for approval
MARGAO
Who’s the new Deputy Director or Divisional Officer of Fire Services, Margao upon the promotion of then deputy Director Nitin Raikar as the Fire Services Director?
It will be close to two months now since Raikar assumed office as the State Director of Fire Services, but the post of deputy Director, Margao is still lying vacant. Neither the government has posted Nitin’s successor to Margao nor has the Director, Fire Services delegated powers to the Fire Officer, Margao or Divisional Fire Officer of other zones to hold additional charge of Deputy Director, Margao.
Resultantly, citizens and the public at large have been put to great hardships and inconveniences as all applications for the Fire NOCs are compulsorily sent to the Fire Director, Panaji for approvals.
Staff and employees of the fire stations, attached to Margao, Verna, Canacona and Curchorem also face difficulties for want of a Deputy Director or a divisional fire officer at Margao.
A visit to the Fire Station located a Aquem-Margao has revealed that the office of the deputy fire director stands closed after Nitin Raikar’s promotion as Fire Director. Incidentally, Nitin Raikar’s name still finds a mention outside the chamber which he had occurred in his capacity as the Deputy Director, with only the word deputy removed from the designation.
Citizens and officials alike have expressed surprised that the government is dragging its feet to fill up the vacant post of deputy fire director, Margao when Nitin Raikar was promoted as the Fire Director on November 2. “Why should applications of NOCs filed by the citizens from Salcete and other talukas down South forwarded to the Fire Director based at Panaji when the very purpose of opening divisional offices was to decentralise administration and take administration to the citizens’ doorsteps,” wondered a citizen.
He added: “It’s not a question whether the NOCs are issued or not, but when a divisional office is set up in an area, it should be headed by an officer instead of forwarding all correspondence to the Panaji office for clearance.”
When The Goan called up the Fire Director, Raikar to shed light on the delay in posting his successor at the Margao fire station, he was quick to say the post will be filled up in due course of time. “The government is seized of the matter. No sooner the government takes a call on the matter, appropriate decision will be taken by my office,” he added.
Fears are raised in certain quarters that unless the Director, Fire Services moves quickly to get the government sanction to fill up the post or delegate powers to any other office, the status quo may continue for the next 2-3 months with the election code of conduct expected to come into force by month-end or early January.
“Why there’s an inordinate delay in filling up the post of deputy Fire Director is indeed a mystery, more so when the election code of conduct is expected to come into force any time and when there cannot be transfers when the code is in force,” wondered an official.
