*NC alleges backdoor appointments
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Opposition National Conference (NC) and the Congress today staged walk-out from the Legislative Council alleging lack of transparency in appointments in various Government bodies while a BJP member from Rajouri also joined them on different issue of discrimination with Jammu region on appointments made by Public Service Commission (PSC).
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The BJP MLC Vibodh Gupta raised the issue of the alleged discrimination with Jammu region in the recruitments by PSC. He sought a reply from the Government on this and also sought district and region-wise detail of the number of appointments made during last three years.
The Opposition members were agitated after the Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone who was responding on behalf of Chief Minister in the Upper House claimed that 21490 selections have been made during last two years in various Government departments by the recruiting agency.
He also claimed that apart from this, 132 selections have been made in various Autonomous bodies under the administrative control of the departments.
Earlier, MoS Education and Tourism Priya Sethi was responding to the main question of Qaiser Lone. National Conference members Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Showkat Ganai and Congress member Ghulam Nabi Monga asked the Minister to reveal mode of the appointments alleging lack of transparency.
Intervening, Hanjura said the appointments were made through J-K Public Service Commission (PSC), J-K Service Selection Board (JKSSB) and Police Recruitment Board. He also claimed that Autonomous bodies like Universities, Agriculture University have their own mode of recruitment process and the Government does not interfere.
The NC member Q J Lone, however, claimed that through RTI he has managed lot of details about backdoor appointments made during last two years but the Government was trying to hide. He alleged that many backdoor appointments were made in which no rules were followed. They pressed for the details.
The Opposition NC and Congress members stood up from their seats and resorted to protests for failure to give satisfactory answer and blamed them for lack of transparency and criteria in selections and recruitments. They alleged that Government was trying to conceal the information.
The Vice Chairman, Ali Mohd Dar did not allow them to press for the point claiming that Government has replied to provide detail to the member later on . Then raising anti-government slogans, they staged a walkout from the House. Firdous Tak asked there was blanket ban on recruitment in autonomous bodies during previous regime then how the appointments were made. He demanded probe into the matter.
Meanwhile, the Upper House witnessed `bizarre situation’ when ruling party member from BJP, Vibodh Gupta exchanged heated arguments with PDP member Yasir Rishi for raking up inter-district and inter-regional discrimination in recruitments by Public Service Commission.
The issue with regard to discrimination with Jammu region was raised during Question Hour by BJP MLC, Vibodh Gupta. The MLC also alleged that he was not given proper reply by the Government despite the fact that he had sought region and district wise detail of the appointments made by the PSC since March 2015 till December 2017.
Gupta said had he been RTI activists, he would have managed the details from the Department but unfortunately even being Legislator, he is being denied access to the information. He alleged that people lost confidence on the PSC and this agency has created wedge between the people of two regions due to its bias stance. He alleged mass scale irregularities and bungling in the PSC selection and demanded that House Committee be constituted. He also sought discussion on the issue in the House.
When he was pressing for his point on regional imbalance and indulged in the heated arguments with the Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura responding on behalf of Chief Minister, PDP Member Yasir Reshi, supported by Saifuddin Bhat (PDP) stood up and tried to snub Gupta. Then both sides exchanged heated arguments. The Minister tried to intervene and cool down the ruling party members but the tiff continued for few minutes. The opposition members were passing on pleasantries on them as members from the ruling party were at ugly clash.
Then lodging his strong protest against the Government for not providing him detailed information, the BJP Member staged walk out.
The Minister earlier revealed that PSC is autonomous body and there is set procedure for written exam and interviews while making selections. He said these posts are not filled up on region or district basis. He claimed that 3290 selections were made by the PSC since January 2015 till December 2017.
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