2 years on, 49 new taluks yet to take off in the state

More than two years after the formation of 49 new taluks in Karnataka to ease administration, the state government is dragging its feet on sanctioning the manpower required to run them.

So far, these taluks have been forced to make do with only Revenue and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) departments that have received clearance for the deployment of staff and premises in the new taluks. Another 30 departments may have to wait for some more years.

According to sources in the Revenue department, even appointments for posts such as tahsildars are not complete in many of the new taluks. "Though posts have been created, some taluks were sanctioned tahsildars while others are without administrative heads. Appointments can only be made once recruitment is complete," sources said.

Shivanand Awathi, convenor of Nidgundi Taluk Horata Samithi said that save the sign outside tahsildar office, nothing had changed since Nidgundi was declared as a taluk. "A special tahsildar was sanctioned back in 2001 itself. Now, they have changed the sign of the office to tahsildar office," he quipped.

The demand of locals is to have all offices, such as a sub-registrar office, Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee and circle inspector office and others. Without them, the mere announcement of new taluks is of little use, he said.

Recently, the Social Welfare principal secretary wrote to the department’s commissioner hinting that it would take at least “a couple of years” for the department to have its staff and offices in these taluks.

"Proposal (to create posts) has been examined. Finance department regrets to the proposal of creating new posts in new talukas. The administrative department is advised to function by utilizing the existing staff from erstwhile old taluks and defer the proposal at least by a couple of years (sic)," the letter stated.

The situation is no different for other departments.

When contacted, Additional Chief Secretary (finance) ISN Prasad said that despite proposals from various departments to sanction staff and offices, it can only be taken up in phases. “Revenue and RDPR departments are sanctioned to these taluks. Based on the decision of the government, other department offices will come up," he said.

Sanctioning posts to these taluks will be based on its size and proximity to its previous taluk centre, he added.