THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, June 11: In a landmark decision, the District Establishment Committee of Latehar, chaired by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sandeep Kumar, has accorded service confirmation to 55 of the district’s 76 Chowkidars.
The service confirmation of the remaining 21 Chowkidars has been kept on hold due to deficiencies in documents related to age, education, residence, caste, and other records.
Speaking to The Jharkhand Story Network, DC Sandeep Kumar said, “Latehar became a district in April 2001. The Chowkidars serving here had been without service confirmation for more than two decades. This had a choking effect on their performance.”
He added, “After I was informed about the plight of the Chowkidars due to the lack of service confirmation, I ordered a meeting of the District Establishment Committee. The matter was taken up under my chairmanship, and the services of 55 Chowkidars were confirmed.”
21 Chowkidars Await Clearance of Service Records
Explaining the status of the remaining cases, the DC said, “There were some deficiencies in their service records. These issues need to be sorted out. Once that is done, these 21 Chowkidars will benefit from service confirmation just like the other 55.”
According to sources, the process of service confirmation should normally be initiated after the mandatory probation period of two years. However, in Latehar district, the Chowkidars remained largely overlooked in this regard for years.
Administrative Push Clears Long-Pending Cases
Administrative sources said that service books of government personnel often remain pending for updates until retirement approaches, with regular updation receiving little attention.
However, sources noted that DC Sandeep Kumar took serious note of the prolonged pendency of service confirmations and facilitated the approval of 55 cases in a single move.
Vital Link Between Villages and Administration
Chowkidars play a crucial role as a link between rural communities and the police. Although they work closely with law enforcement, they are part of the civil administration and not the police department.
The appointing authority for Chowkidars is the civil administration.
