Bhatkal: A severe administrative vacuum continues to affect Bhatkal taluk, where over 20 government departments are operating without permanently appointed officers. Instead, key positions are being managed by in-charge personnel — a situation that has significantly impacted governance and delayed the resolution of public grievances.
At the sub-divisional level, the post of Assistant Commissioner remains vacant. Currently, Sirsi Assistant Commissioner Kavya Rani is handling the role in-charge, visiting the Bhatkal office only twice a week. The post of Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer is also held in-charge by Block Education Officer Venkatesh Naik.
In the Bhatkal Town Municipal Council, Engineer Venkatesh Nauda is managing dual responsibilities, functioning as the in-charge Chief Officer. In the Revenue Department, the role of Food Inspector has been assigned to Second Division Assistant Uday Talwar in an additional capacity. The Public Works Department (PWD) has designated Junior Engineer Sujay as the in-charge Assistant Executive Engineer.
Similar staffing gaps exist in other departments. Junior Engineer Ganesh is serving in-charge at the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department. Sridhar, Assistant Director from Ankola, is managing the Agriculture Department in-charge. The Veterinary Hospital in Bhatkal is supervised by Honnavar-based Dr. Basappa, while Agricultural Officer Sharan Kumar is serving as in-charge Assistant Director of Horticulture.
The post of Assistant Director at the Mavin Kurve port continues to be held by the Fisheries Department’s Assistant Director — a temporary arrangement in place for decades.
In the Women and Child Development Department, Superintendent Sushila Moger is acting as the in-charge Child Development Project Officer, while Geetha Hegde, Manager in the Social Welfare Department, is serving as in-charge Assistant Director. In the Backward Classes Welfare Department, VV Bhat has been assigned the role of in-charge Extension Officer. The Department of Industries has been without an Extension Officer for the past three years.
The Labour Department is currently overseen by in-charge Inspector Guru Naik, while First Division Assistant Fakhruddin is serving as in-charge Sub-Registrar. The Cashew Development Corporation is under the temporary supervision of in-charge Forester Pramod Hegli. PDO Uday Borkar is handling the additional responsibility of Assistant Director for Rural Industries and Panchayat Raj. Assistant Accounts Officer Rajesh Mahale is serving in-charge as Taluk Project Officer.
At the government hospital, Taluk Health Officer Dr. Savita Kamath has been transferred, but due to a stay order, the transfer has not been implemented. The Youth Empowerment and Sports Department also remains without an officer following the vacancy created by the transfer of teacher Nagaraj Patgar.
Reports indicate that several other departments in the taluk are also functioning either without officers or on an in-charge basis.
Political apathy blamed for administrative paralysis
Many observers attribute this prolonged crisis to political interference in recruitment and staffing processes. Ironically, the Bhatkal–Honnavar MLA Mankal Vaidya, who currently serves as the district in-charge minister for Uttara Kannada, represents the very constituency facing this severe staff shortage. The lack of permanent appointments across critical departments under his jurisdiction starkly contrasts with expectations of efficient and citizen-focused governance.
Revenue Department alone faces 300 vacancies in Uttara Kannada
The issue extends beyond Bhatkal. Across Uttara Kannada district, the Revenue Department alone is short by nearly 300 personnel. Currently, only two Assistant Commissioners — both women — are managing administrative responsibilities across four revenue subdivisions. No permanent officers have been appointed in Bhatkal and Karwar, with Sirsi’s AC overseeing Bhatkal and Kumta’s AC handling Karwar in-charge.
Key roles such as District Special Officer and Special Land Acquisition Officer remain vacant. Additionally, 57 Second Division Assistant posts in the Revenue Department are unfilled. Officials attribute the growing number of vacancies to retirements without corresponding new appointments.
Of the 904 sanctioned posts in the district Revenue Department, only 637 have been filled to date — underscoring the scale of the staffing shortfall.