Chandigarh: Days after an approval from the cabinet, the Haryana government initiated the process of ‘merger and reorganisation of some of its departments having similar nature of work’. The Opposition, however, said that the move will ‘increase unemployment’.
The state cabinet approved the merger in a meeting held on 14 December, 2022, while a notification to this effect signed by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya was made public on January 1, 2023.
The M.L. Khattar-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government decided to merge and re-organise some departments having similar nature of work to improve administrative efficiency. This, it asserted, was being done with a view to bringing synergy in the functioning of different departments and streamlining work.
But, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda contended that the move would increase unemployment. Quoting a report from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Hooda said Haryana’s unemployment rate at 37.4 per cent is already the highest in the country and this move will lead to the abolition of a large number of posts.
“Haryana is constantly earning the dubious distinction of remaining on the top in unemployment. As per the CMIE data published in the media… Haryana tops the country with an unemployment rate of 37.4 per cent for the month of December 2022 against national figures of 8.3 per cent. Instead of taking steps that can arrest unemployment, the government is merging departments, which will lead to the abolition of a large number of posts and aggravate the situation further,” Hooda told ThePrint Monday.
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The new nomenclature
Addressing a meeting of the administrative secretaries on the merger and reorganisation of departments on 16 December, Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal said that as per the decision of the Cabinet, the Directorates, Utilities, and Authorities will continue to function as before.
There are nearly 30 departments that will see a merger resulting in the creation of departments with new nomenclature.
For instance, the power department deals with the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity while the new and renewable energy department looks after solar, wind and other forms of green energies. Now, these two departments will function under one umbrella with a new nomenclature of the Department of Energy.
Similarly, the archeology and museum department was created for conducting archaeological excavation and explorations, protection and conservation of proto-historical, medieval, and historical monuments sites and remains from the research point of view.
It also publishes research reports of excavated sites and explorations of the districts, booklets, folders etc and organises exhibitions and prepares replicas of ancient sculptures for sale to acquaint researchers and the people with their ancient heritage. On the other hand, the tourism department aims to develop tourism. Now, both these departments will merge and function under the Department of Tourism and Heritage.
(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)
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