ULB directors on foreign study tour transferred before return

WASTING EXPERTISE?

GoI sponsored study tour crucial for decongestion of cities of state
Officers attended training in urban transportation at Hong Kong, Taipei
DEEPAK KHAJURIA

JAMMU: Another example of wastage of resources, learning and expertise of senior officials in Jammu and Kashmir has come to light as the two Directors of Urban Local Bodies of Kashmir and Jammu regions who had gone to study the urban transport system in Hong Kong and Taipei on the Union government's initiative along with 41 officers of other states were transferred even before they could land back in the country.
The two directors had been sent to Hong Kong and Taipei on an official tour from February 5 to 11 on the invitation of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and National Taiwan University to learn about self-sustaining programme in transport system.
Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir, Tufail Mattoo, and Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, Soujanya Sharma, were transferred in the Cabinet Meeting of February 13, 2017 chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Official sources told The News Now that the programme was especially sponsored by Government of India to equip the officers with the expertise to improve the transport system in all the states.
"Both Directors from Jammu and Kashmir's Urban Development Department got their transfer orders when they returned. They are yet to submit the report of their tour," the sources said.
Both Soujanya Sharma and Tufail Mattoo have been shifted from Urban Development Department and asked to report in the General Administration Department.
Arun Kumar Sharma, Joint Financial Commissioner, Agrarian Reforms, in the office of Financial Commissioner, Revenue, has been posted as Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, while Reyaz Ahmad Wani, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, has been posted as Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir.
Sources said that the tour was important for Jammu and Kashmir state as it could help decongest traffic.
Sources in the Urban Development Department also said that both these officers had already been working on decongestion of cities in J&K.
Both Soujanya Sharma and and Tufail Mattoo had even submitted proposals for decongestion of Udhampur and Kathua cities in Jammu and Anantnag, Kashmir, respectively, to the World Bank for funding.
When contacted by The News Now, Former Director, ULB, Jammu, Soujanya Sharma, said that they attended very useful lectures on how to decongest the cities by creating pathways and cycle ways.
When The News Now questioned MoS Urban Development Department, Asiea Naqash about the transfers, she said, "It doesn't mean we cannot utilise their knowledge and expertise they have learnt during their trip. Transfer is part of administrative system and their knowledge is a separate thing, which can be used by the government any time".