Purnia DM holds salary of 14 circle officers

PURNIA: All the 14 circle officers (COs), and revenue inspectors and clerks are now under the scanner across Purnia as the district magistrate (DM) has ordered putting on hold their monthly salary for their nonchalant attitude towards work on agriculture census in the district.
Purnia DM Manish Kumar Verma, who expressed his displeasure over nonchalant and perfunctory attitude of all 14 COs and other revenue officials towards agriculture census in the district , finally cracked his whip and ordered holding back their monthly salary, official sources said.
The state government had assigned the job of carrying out agriculture census in all the blocks of the district. The census was targeted to be completed by the year 2012. However, due to casual approach of the COs and others, agriculture census could not be completed within the time-frame, sources said.
Under the agriculture census, the revenue officials are obliged to make an assessment of cultivable land, enlist the land-owning farmers with their land records within their respective areas. The agriculture census was a pre-requisite, which could enable the government in enunciating and formulating new schemes in the larger interests of the farmers across the state, official sources said.
Disgusted with their perfunctory attitude towards their job, the DM finally ordered putting on hold their monthly salary for the present. The DM has, however, asked them to submit the 'prapatra H' within 15 days, failing which disciplinary action will be contemplated against the errant revenue officials, sources disclosed.
ADM Ram Niwas Pandey, talking to TOI on Tuesday, disclosed that steps are already underway to carry out the DM's order against the defaulting revenue officials.