Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 1: The Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) on Recruitment Policy today debated series of issues and was hovering around the view that the new Policy should be called the Recruitment Policy and not the Employment Policy and adhoc/contractual posts should either be filled through the Services Selection Board (SSB) in the non-gazetted cadre or the District Committees with representation from the SSB.
The CSC was of the view that period for regularization of adhoc/contractual appointments should be reduced from seven to five years and reservation for all categories as applicable in the general recruitments be maintained. It, however, voiced deep concern over extreme slow process of the SSB in making recruitments, leading to shortage of staff in several Government Departments, especially those dealing with the emergency services.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the CSC, which met in Srinagar for two and half hours this afternoon, was of the view that the Government should post 10 to 12 more members in the SSB immediately to strengthen it for recruitment process. It was of the view that even if the consensus emerged on District Level Selection Committees headed by the Deputy Commissioners, the Committees must have one member from the SSB to lend more credibility to the appointments.
“The New Policy will be the Recruitment Policy and not the Employment Policy,’’ the CSC members opined and directed the GAD Secretary Gazanffar Ahmad and Law Secretary Ashraf Mir, who were called to the meeting, to review guidelines of the Policy accordingly. The Policy will be initially used to clear entire backlog of vacancies,’’ they said.
The CSC viewed with concern that 17,000 posts referred to the SSB were no way near the appointments while another 8000 posts were vacant. It was of the opinion that it would recommend to the Government to appoint 10 to 12 more Members immediately to the SSB to strengthen it.
“There were two opinions in the CSC on appointments. Some of the members were of the view that even adhoc/contractual appointments should also be made by the SSB after more Members are appointed to it. However, there was second opinion that the District Level Committees can fast track the appointments but a SSB Member should be attached with the every Committee during the appointments,’’ sources said.
As far as gazetted cadre appointments of doctors and lecturers were concerned, the CSC noted that there was huge shortage of both in several areas and the posts should be filled on fast track basis on adhoc/contractual mode so that they stay in rural and far off areas for at least five years, which should be considered as probation period.
Sources said majority of the CSC members were of the view that regularization period of adhoc/contractual appointments should be reduced from seven years to five years and clause of reservations for all categories should be applicable in fast track appointments at par with general recruitment.
Lone Scheduled Caste Minister in the State Government, Bali Bhagat, who holds charge of Social Welfare and Forests and is member of the CSC on Recruitment Policy, confirmed that the reservation will be implemented in all adhoc/contractual appointments, where they were made through the SSB or the District Committees. “The reservation clauses will be maintained in adhoc/contractual appointments as per general recruitments,’’ he said.
The CSC decided that it would meet again in the next few days after the Law Secretary comes out with clarifications sought on rules governing gazetted cadre appointments. The CSC wants to take opinion of the Law Department to ensure that the Policy once approved by it and the Cabinet was not returned by the Governor once against just as he had done previously prompting the Government to set up the CSC. It also wants to ensure that the Policy was not struck down by the court.
The CSC was of the view that the Government has already strengthened the Public Services Commission (PSC) by selecting panel of Chairman and eight members to it and called for strengthening the SSB with suggestion that at least 10 to 12 more Members should be appointed to it.
Some of the CSC members suggested that seniority of adhoc/contractual appointees should be taken into consideration the day they were appointed and not the day they were regularized.
Sources said the CSC would shortly finalize its recommendations after another meeting and send them to Cabinet for approval before it was sent to the Governor for issuance of the ordinance, which had to be ratified by the Legislature within six months of the ordinance.
All CSC members attended the meeting under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh. Other members of the CSC, who attended the meeting, included Social Welfare and Forest Minister Bali Bhagat and Health and Medical Education Minister Choudhary Lal Singh, all from BJP, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Bukhari, Education Minister Naeem Akhter and Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu.
An official handout said the CSC discussed in detail the draft Recruitment Policy and directed the officers (Secretary GAD and Secretary Law) to make necessary amendments in it, which would then be deliberated upon before sending to the Cabinet.
The CSC gave up its decision to put the Recruitment Policy in public domain for inviting suggestions and objections as it was of the view that it would delay the Policy. Moreover, there was common view that the Policy would evoke wide spread condemnation from the people and the Government will have to face embarrassment if it was put to public domain.
The CSC has decided that Civil Services examinations would remain out of the purview of the Policy.
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