State Fisheries Department: Most posts remain vacant

Kundapur: There are 9.61 lakh fishermen in the state. The business done by the fishing industry is worth crores of rupees together and yet, majority of the posts in the state fisheries department lie vacant.

Fishing is the major business in coastal district of the state including Mangaluru, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts and there are altogether 1,401 posts in the state fisheries department including the officers and staffs. However, till date only 683 posts have been filled. In other words, the majority of 718 posts are lying vacant.

In-charge managing directors post

The top post in the state fisheries department is that of the state fisheries director and it lies vacant. Presently, the join-director is managing the in-charge post. Besides, the all the posts for the prominent officials for the coastal districts has just been appointed.

What posts lie vacant?

The department should have had a fisheries director, and it has not been done. The two joint-director posts have been filled. There is one deputy director and one senior assistant director (administration). Of the 33 posts for assistant directors, only 23 have been filled while 10 posts remain vacant. All the 8 regional deputy director posts have been filled. Of the 26 district fisheries director posts, only 12 have been filled, 14 posts lie vacant. Of the 186 taluk level officials, 144 have been filled while 42 remain vacant.

Quick management disrupted

It is essential that all the posts in the department are filled so that quick and proper assistance is provided to the fishermen who venture out into the sea for fishing ever overshadowed by danger. But since more than half of the posts lie vacant, many different works coming under the department are being delayed. The plans are not getting implemented properly. Besides, the release of grants is also being affected. Also the work on documentation is not being conducted.