Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Feb 16: Five years after their appointment, Panchayat Accounts Assistants (PAAs) in Jammu and Kashmir continue to work without finalized service rules, a career progression policy, transfer framework or clear departmental ownership, raising concerns about their future and Government recruitment planning.
The PAAs were recruited against 1,889 vacancies through an examination conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board soon after Jammu and Kashmir’s transition into a Union Territory. The recruitment was projected as a key reform to strengthen financial management and accountability at the Panchayat level.
However, employees say that apart from the appointment orders, no institutional framework has been put in place to govern their service conditions. “We were recruited with a vision, but that vision has not translated into policy,” a group of PAAs told Excelsior. “From the day of appointment till today, there has been no change. We just exist as a cadre on paper,” they added.
According to employees, PAAs perform a range of functions beyond accounting, including work under CAPEX, Swachh Bharat Mission, sanitation and solid waste management programmes, Panchayat documentation, and birth and death registrations. They are also deployed for Mission YUVA-related assignments, land record verification, election duties, administrative support and survey-based reporting.
Despite handling these responsibilities, employees say they remain without confirmation of service, and many continue to be shown as on probation even after five years. “This is demoralising and administratively unjustified. We are discharging core responsibilities of the Panchayat administration but have no certainty about our own service status,” one PAA said.
PAAs allege that there are still no approved service rules, promotion or seniority framework, transfer policy or defined cadre structure. They allege the absence of these basic provisions has stalled career growth and created uncertainty in postings.
Employees also highlight confusion over which department owns the cadre. They claim the Rural Development Department considers the matter linked to the Finance, while the Finance Department views PAAs as part of RDD, resulting in a prolonged deadlock. “We demand immediate finalisation of service rules, confirmation of service, a clear promotion and transfer policy, and inclusion in establishment and rationalisation frameworks,” an employee said.
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