Even after MHA, SAC approval, recruitment yet to begin
Delay in submission of draft guidelines to Centre plays spoilsport
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 9: Home Department and Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters (PHQ) are unlikely to meet December 29, 2018 deadline for raising two battalions for border districts of the State as even eight months after the sanction of Union Ministry of Home Affairs and five months after the nod of State Administrative Council (SAC) recruitment process has yet not been set into motion. This is mainly because of undue delay in submission of draft guidelines in connection with selection of candidates for these battalions to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Home Department in consultation with Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters formulated a proposal for raising of two border battalions of Jammu and Kashmir Police comprising 2014 posts of various categories late last year and with the approval of the competent authority the same was forwarded to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs vide communication dated January 4, 2018 for consideration.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs vide communication dated March 8, 2018 conveyed sanction for raising of two border battalions of J&K Police and laid down certain conditions, which inter-alia included that the eligibility criteria for the candidates should be clearly outlined while notifying the vacancies.
It was further conveyed that the guidelines in connection with the selection of candidates for these battalions may be got approved from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
However, the Home Department and PHQ took unreasonable long time in preparation of the guidelines, which were forwarded to MHA for approval vide Communication No. Home/PB-III/78 dated October 19, 2018, seven months after the directive in this regard by the MHA.
The MHA vide Commun-ication F.No.103030/01/2018-K-II dated October 23, 2018 suggested certain amendments in the guidelines proposed to be issued by the State Government. The MHA suggested that the recruitment for the posts should be strictly from the youth living in the areas of 0-10 kilometres from the IB/LoC/LAC and should also be equally divided amongst the 10 border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, sources informed.
Moreover, the MHA conveyed that as far as recruitment for the posts from Leh and Kargil districts is concerned, the criteria may be suitably relaxed if sufficient number of youth are not available from 0-10 kilometres of LAC/LoC.
Now, the Home Department vide Government Order No.1534 dated November 6, 2018 has issued detailed guidelines by incorporating the suggestions made by the Ministry of Home Affairs for strict adherence by the PHQ while making recruitment to the posts of constables for two border battalions in J&K Police.
As recruitment process could not be set into motion till date due to delay in submission of draft guidelines and their subsequent approval with certain suggestions by the MHA, the Home Department and PHQ are unlikely to meet the deadline for raising two battalions fixed by the State Administrative Council.
It is pertinent to mention here that State Administrative Council vide Decision No.1/1/2018 dated June 28, 2018, while conveying sanction for raising of two battalions on the terms and conditions of MHA, had explicitly conveyed to Home Department and PHQ that the recruitment process shall be completed within six months from the date of the issuance of the order—-means by December 29, 2018.
“By any stretch of imagination this deadline cannot be met by the Home Department and PHQ as notification for inviting applications for posts of two border battalions has not been issued till date”, sources said.
The posts sanctioned for these two battalions by the SAC include two Commandants, six Deputy Commandants, 14 DySPs, 18 Inspectors, 52 Sub-Inspectors, 46 Assistant Sub-Inspectors, 328 Head Constables, 1402 Constables, 138 Followers (Direct), 2 Medical Officers, 4 Medical Assistants and 2 Nursing Assistants.
These two border battalions shall be borne on the cadre strength of J&K Police and one battalion each shall be located at a suitable place in Jammu and Kashmir divisions respectively.
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