Anantnag CEO Department Headless, Becomes Victim of Official Apathy

By Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag: The Education Department in Anantnag district has become a victim of official apathy, remaining headless for the past month after the in-charge Chief Education Officer (CEO), Bashir Ahmad Shah, was attached to the Director School Education, Srinagar, by higher authorities on April 25.

Official sources said that the delay in filling this key position has hampered the day-to-day functioning of the Education Department, as well as operations at the zonal and district levels in Anantnag.

Bashir Ahmad Shah was attached to the Directorate of School Education in Srinagar, and the additional charge of CEO was assigned to Kishore Kumar, Principal of DIET Anantnag. Shah had issued an order permitting Kashmiri migrant employees to work from home, three days after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

The department is facing several challenges due to the vacant leadership position, which has resulted in administrative hurdles and difficulties for staff, sources said.

According to official sources, several schools in the district are functioning without heads, leading to administrative bottlenecks and a decline in academic performance. In some cases, headmasters are burdened with responsibilities for multiple institutions. Existing staff members are being forced to take on additional duties, resulting in increased stress and decreased efficiency, the sources added.