Correspondent
JAMMU, June 17: Even after more than 10 months since their final selection, the appointment of 99 KAS/KPS officers is still hanging in balance due to unprecedented delay in the constitution of defunct Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC).
As the posts of PSC members as well as the Chairman continue to fall vacant, these `half officers’ are forced to sit idle since August last year with no option other than to wait and watch the political aspirations of ruling parties, which led to twice rejection of the Cabinet approved names by the Governor.
The exercise for appointment of these 99 officers could have easily completed in the month of August, had the successive Governments not resorted to the attempt of making PSC as rehabilitation centre for their blue eyed `incompetent’ persons.
It may be recalled that the General Administration Department vide communication number GAD (Ser) (Genl)/146/2012 dated May 23, 2013 had referred 99 posts to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission to be filled up through the Combined Competitive Examination-2013. These posts were advertised by the Commission vide Notification No.PSC/Exm/ 2013/47 dated June 5, 2013 and in response to the advertisement, 25,006 application forms were received. Thereafter, preliminary examination was conducted on September 29, 2013 in which 20,236 candidates appeared and as per the criteria fixed by the Commission, 2477 candidates were declared qualified for the main examination vide Notification No.PSC/EX-14/39 dated May 19, 2014.
In the main examination conducted from March 1, 2014 to April 3, 2014 both at Jammu and Srinagar, 1969 candidates appeared in all the papers and as per the criteria fixed by the Commission in accordance with the rules, 341 candidates were declared qualified for interview. Following interview, 99 candidates were selected in order of their aggregate merit in the written as well as interview and the list was issued on August 1, 2014.
Thereafter, the selected candidates were directed to report to the respective Medical Boards for conduct of medical examination in accordance with rules. Even as the Medical Board in the Government Medical College, Jammu timely completed the task and submitted the report to the PSC, the process in respect of candidates belonging to Kashmir valley could not be completed by the Government Medical College, Srinagar because of unprecedented floods there. By the time GMC Srinagar submitted medical report of Kashmir valley candidates after improvement in the flood situation, then Chairman of PSC, S L Bhat had completed his term thereby stalling the further process.
Even as only Chairman of the PSC is authorized to allot the department to the selected candidates, this exercise could have been easily completed that time by appointing only member of the Commission as Acting Chairman.
As the then NC-Congress Government preferred to look for a new Chairman as well as the members and recommended names for the same, Governor N N Vohra did not approve these names by raising some objections in October. The entire exercise thereafter remained suspended owing to Assembly elections and delay in formation of new Government.
However, even after the formation of new Government in March, the defunct PSC is yet to be constituted as the names recommended by this Cabinet were also rejected by Governor because of technical reasons.
While fresh recommendation of the State Cabinet, submitted last month, is still awaiting the response of Governor, the selected KAS candidates are eagerly waiting for an end to the prolonged delay and consequent accomplishment of their dream of serving the society as an Administrative officer.
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