AGARTALA, June 3 (TIWN): Even after the government’s effort to speed up service delivery system, people are facing difficulties to get administrative service due to acute shortage of manpower in District Magistrate and Collectors’ offices.

According to sources, only 695 employees including officials are required to run eight district administrations whereas the sanctioned capacity stands at 1291. It means district administrations are ‘running the show’ with only half of their sanctioned capacity.

Take the example of West district administration – the sanctioned posts are 328 while 155 officials and employees are engaged in the district administration and the shortage of manpower stands at 173.

Though almost all DM offices need officials and staff, the situation is very deplorable in the newly created Unakoti district- only 219 officials and employees are engaged whereas it needs at least 351 manpower.

Not only DM offices, SDM and BDO offices are also facing tough time due to shortage of manpower. Interestingly, the Sadar DC is not having a Deputy Collector and Magistrate (DCM) for past few months severely affecting the normal works. People find it difficult to get various important works done by the DCM.

It was assured that the government would fill up some posts for DM, SDM and BDO offices in phase manner. But it is yet to be implemented.

“The decentralization of administration is meaningless if adequate manpower is not provided to DM and SDM offices. People will not get benefits if DM and SDM offices suffer due to shortage of manpower”, said a senor bureaucrat of the state administration.

Here it may be noted the government had created four new district and two subdivisions as part of decentralization of administration two years back. However, people still struggle to get the administration benefit even at the DM offices due to shortage of manpower.