Nitish announces special drive to fill up vacant posts

Patna, Sep 19 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a special drive to appoint officers and employees for a large number of vacant posts in the state government.

Admitting that huge manpower shortage at different levels was seriously affecting the execution of various development and welfare schemes, Mr Kumar said the government would soon launch special drive to start regular appointments to fill up the vacancies in several departments, particularly in health and police.

''There had been no appointments in different departments for quite sometime but till regular recruitments take place, government is employing the staff on contract basis and it would be renewed if required,'' he said adding special drive would be launched to fill up the posts reserved for extremely backward class in police.

Mr Kumar said that an all-woman battalion, on the lines of CRPF, would be raised besides recruiting personnel in homeguard and state fire services in accordance with the reservation norms.'' Almost all departments are running with 50-60 per cent of their sanctioned strength'', he noted.

''The raising of Special Auxiliary Police(SAP) by Bihar government through recruitment of retired Army Jawans has come in for praise from different states and Union Home Ministry,'' the Chief Minister said adding 11,500 persons had already been appointed while 7,500 more would be appointed soon.

UNI