Govt’s ban on contractual employees puts experts in jeopardy
*Council refuses to own them
Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, May 10: Four coaches and trainers of repute of J&K Sports Council are without salary from May 2019, after in a major decision, the State Government had imposed complete ban on engagement of casual, seasonal, adhoc, contractual, need based and daily rated workers in all Departments who were engaged after April 29, 2010 and March 17, 2015.
These coaches and trainers include Sahil Sharma (Wrestling), Ankush Gupta (Kabaddi), Amir Aslam (Badminton) and Mohd Ashraf (Handball).
While Sahil Sharma has the distinction of being the coach of Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, Ankush has the honour of producing International stuff from Jammu and Kashmir. Amir and Ashraf also have done well in their respective fields.
Sources said, on the one hand, these coaches are waiting in the wings for the release of their salaries, while on the other hand, Sports Council refuses to own them as their employees in view of the Government order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) vide Circular No. 3-GAD of 2019 dated 24.5.2019.
“We are at a loss to understand as to why our salaries have been stopped despite the fact that our services have been utilized even after the GAD’s circular of banning contractual employees. We possess assignment orders of the Council up to February 2020, just before the start of countrywide lockdown. If we were not supposed to continue as contractual employees as per the Govt order circulated in May 2019, then why we were given assignment orders by the Council till the beginning of lockdown,” the quartet of experts lamented.
They said that they were at their wits end to understand as to why they have been made the scapegoats, when the said Govt Order probably was not applicable to the autonomous body like J&K Sports Council.
“We have approached Farooq Khan, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor and Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary Youth Services and Sports requesting them to take initiatives with regard to releasing of our salaries to help us run our families in prevailing lockdown. They have assured us of all possible help,” said Kabaddi coach Ankush.
The coaches further said some of them were appointees of 2010, adding despite all the good record as far as their assignments was concerned, they have been at the receiving end rather receiving a curt treatment.
When contacted on the issue, Secretary J&K State Sports Council, Dr Naseem Javaid Choudhary said that these employees were just flogging a dead horse rather crying for the moon as he has only acted as per the GAD’s Order.
He said the General Administration Department order impressed upon all officers of the State Government to strictly adhere/ observe the statutory rules and codal provisions in letter and spirit and ensure that any person appointed on adhoc, contractual, consolidated and temporary basis after the imposition of ban on such engagements on and after April 29, 2010 in contravention of the provisions of the Act will forthwith cease to continue i.e. they will be disengaged immediately after the issuance of this order.
He further said, in such circumstances, there was no question of releasing their salaries as they were no more employees of the Council.
“The order had warned that in the event of failure to comply with the fresh instructions issued by the GAD, the concerned officer(s) will be held personally responsible,” added Dr Choudhary.
Is the GAD’s Order applicable to Sports Council is a million dollar question?
Sources said, if this order was applicable to Council, then no assignments should have been given to these employees after May 2019, which was not the case, adding that if it was applicable to Council, then these employees should not have been continued for certain period.
Now, the ball is in the court of concerned authorities, who in recognition to their outstanding services in their respective sports disciplines can give them benefit of doubt as the quartet deserves a better deal.
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