Jammu, October 11, 2025 – In a move that’s got district officials scrambling to reschedule family plans, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Dr. Rakesh Minhas fired off a circular late yesterday afternoon, laying down the law: no District Officer, Tehsildar, BDO, or Naib Tehsildar can pack up for leave without a green light from the higher-ups.
Minhas , who join only couple of months ago during the disaster, has been praised in local janta for this move, as It’s all about accountability in the thick of things. With August’s monster rains leaving 4,000 homes in tatters, 70 bridges washed out, and roads like NH-44 playing catch-up, Minhas made it clear: “Duty stations can’t run empty.”
The order, stamped and circulated around 4 PM from the DC’s office overlooking the assembly complex, stresses “prior approval from the competent authority” to keep the machinery humming, especially with the post-flood scramble still in full swing.
This isn’t coming out of the blue. Jammu’s admin has been under the gun since the deluge – recall the September slap on a Reasi Naib Tehsildar who vanished during the crisis, salary docked for “dereliction.” Minhas, who’s been boots-on-ground since the waters receded, echoed that vibe in a quick 11 AM huddle with 50 tehsildars: “We’re rebuilding trust and roads; no one checks out mid-game.” It’s hitting home in diverse corners – Hindu revenue clerks in Talab Tillo juggling Diwali prep, Muslim patwaris in Ranbir Singh Pura chasing flood claims, Sikh BDOs in Ramgarh coordinating with herders. Sunita Devi, 45, a clerk from Janipur whose family lost a roof to the Tawi overflow, shared at her desk by 1 PM: “I get the rule – my files pile up too. But families need us too; hope for flexibility.”