* Chairs meeting of traders’ delegation
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 22: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a high-level meeting to review the functioning of the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), stressing the need to remove bottlenecks and ensuring time-bound and transparent recruitment process.
The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Finance, Commissioner Secretary General Administration Department, Commissioner Secretary Cooperatives Department, Secretary Law, Chairperson JKSSB and other senior officers.
Chairperson JKSSB Indu Kanwal Chib presented a comprehensive report on recruitment activities undertaken since 2019, including department-wise details of posts that have been advertised, are under examination, and are in the final stages of selection.
She highlighted the progress made as well as pending challenges across departments.
It was informed that several posts remain unadvertised due to delay in submitting of indent by departments and in some cases requiring revision of recruitment rules to reflect current job requirements.
The Board has proposed that all future recruitment examinations shall be conducted under CCTV surveillance to ensure fairness and transparency.
The meeting also reviewed the status of Class IV recruitment, where delays were flagged as a major concern.
The Chief Minister directed the Board to expedite the selection process and address all procedural bottlenecks.
He also called for improving the facilities in Service Selection Board and strengthening the Board’s legal and administrative frameworks.
Emphasizing the Government’s commitment to transparent governance, the Chief Minister said that Government would do everything possible to ensure fair and transparent recruitment process and to improve efficiency across all departments to enhance public trust, institutional efficiency and to fill up vacant posts which would also result in giving jobs to the qualified youth of J&K.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of the trading community and facilitating economic revival in the region.
The Chief Minister made these remarks while chairing a meeting with a delegation of traders from across the Kashmir Valley, under the banner of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), led by its Chairman, Mohammad Yaseen Khan.
Responding to the issues raised by the traders, the Chief Minister assured that all concerns-including those related to encroachments on main roads , market access, infrastructure deficiencies and allied facilities-had been duly noted and would be addressed on priority.
“I have directed the concerned departments to engage with traders respectfully and ensure they are not subjected to unnecessary inconvenience. Issues related to development, street vendors blocking way in front of shopkeepers, and market accessibility must be resolved through mutual cooperation,” he emphasized.
Highlighting the Government’s ongoing efforts in response to a query raised regarding healthcare in the districts, Chief Minister informed the delegation that several key infrastructure projects were underway. “We have already placed orders for critical medical equipment such as cath labs and MRIs for our hospitals. Additionally, I have instructed the Finance Department to release funds for the macadamization of roads to improve our road infrastructure,” he said.
Stressing the importance of strengthening the local economy, Omar Abdullah said, “We are working to prioritize local contractors in public works so they, too, can benefit from development initiatives.”
He also assured the delegation that the issues related to interest subvention and the deferment of monthly instalments of bank loans would be taken up with the Union Finance Ministry.
Additional Chief Secretary Dheeraj Gupta and other senior officers were present during the meeting.
Earlier, the traders’ representatives highlighted a range of issues, including interest subvention, the deferment of three monthly bank loan instalments, poor road connectivity, lack of adequate marketplaces, and subsidized transport charges for air-conditioned vans used in transporting horticultural produce to terminal markets in South Indian States.
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