Ranchi/Jamshedpur: Work at government offices in the capital and the steel city remained paralysed for the second consecutive day on Friday as 135 officials of Jharkhand state administrative services remained off duty to fuel a statewide agitation against alleged witch-hunt of babus by the anti-corruption bureau.
Fortunately, the officials under Jharkhand Prashasanik Seva Sangh are expected to resume work from Saturday.
Disappointment was writ large on faces outside the transport, supply and circle offices in Ranchi in the morning and through the afternoon. People hoping to complete important paperwork returned empty-handed because 100-odd officials in the capital, who bridge the gap between clerks and IAS officers, were missing in action.
"I did not get an income certificate because it requires the signature of the circle officer. I need the certificate to seek admission to a postgraduate course," said Sonam Kumari outside the collectorate that houses circle officer Dhananjay Kumar's office.
Mohammed Afroz, a resident of Pathalkudwa, wanted to meet district transport officer Nagendra Paswan, but in vain. "I needed to get my driving licence verified and was told it can't be done till the DTO returns (from mass leave)," Afroz sounded dejected.
Harmu resident Diwakar Mahto, who hasn't been getting ration for two months, could not seek redress from district supply officer Narendra Gupta, also MIA.
The predicament was no different for residents of Jamshedpur with 35 officials off duty. The East Singhbhum district collectorate wore a deserted look on Friday afternoon as visitors left dejected one by one.
"My ancestral property in Mango requires certification by a deputy collector-rank official. I waited for 40 minutes before I was told by a computer operator that nobody was in office," said Florence Lakra (70), a retired Tata Steel employee and resident of Birsanagar.
Project director of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (East Singhbhum) Bishwanath Maheshwari, who is also president of the district unit of Jharkhand Administrative Services Association, conceded that no deputy collector, circle officer, director or special officer attended duty.
In Dhanbad-Bokaro, 69 officials remained on mass leave.
Prajesh Kumar, a private tutor in Jharia who went to the transport office for a car licence, waited in vain from noon till late afternoon to submit his application to DTO Pankaj Kumar Sao.
Deepak Keshri, a small-time trader in Sindri, wanted to add the name of his younger son to primary household ration card beneficiary list. At the BDO office in Balipaur, there was no one to help him.
