Lack of coordination between two key deptts comes to fore
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 30: Incredible it may sound but it is a fact that there are huge number of surplus employees in the Public Sector Undertakings and Corporations of Jammu and Kashmir and all are drawing wages without performing any sort of work. But their services could not be utilized for productive activities in other wings of the Government during the past quite long time due to lack of coordination between two key departments.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the financial condition of various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Corporations, the Government in 2013-14 financial year decided to assess the number of employees available at the disposal of these bodies and actual requirement of the manpower.
After detailed exercise carried out on the directions of the General Administration Department, the figures were worked out vis-à-vis employees needed for smooth functioning of these PSUs and Corporations and surplus employees deployed during time to time through various orders. Accordingly, the General Administration Department decided to deploy surplus employees of PSUs/ Corporations in Government Departments/ Organizations for better utilization of their services, sources said.
It was also noticed that many employees were on deputation to these PSUs/ Corporations in blatant violation of provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Rules, which state that the period of deputation in any case should not exceed three years. It may, however, be extended further by one year on the request of the borrowing agency but in any case the total period of deputation shall not exceed a period of four years at a time.
Similarly, Article 52-C of JKCSR states that all cases involving deputation of Government servants to Non-Government Organizations including Corporations, Companies and Autonomous Bodies within or outside the State, shall be decided by the concerned Administrative Department on the standard terms and conditions of deputation contained in Schedule XVIII and any relaxation of the terms will require prior consultation of the General Administration Department and the Finance Department.
Keeping Article 52-C in view, the General Administration Department referred files regarding deployment of surplus employees of PSUs/ Corporations in Government Departments / Organizations to the Finance Department for the concurrence, sources said.
The first file was referred to Finance Department on October 24, 2014 and thereafter 11 files were referred on different dates between March 24, 2015 and June 23, 2015. However, there was no response from the Finance Department as a result of which deployment of surplus employees of PSUs/Corporations in Government departments/organizations received set-back, sources said, adding “on the other side those employees who don’t fall in the category of surplus are facing hardships for want of salary in the absence of extension orders”.
Keeping in view lack of coordination from the Finance Department, the General Administration Department has now dashed a fresh communication seeking action on priority basis. “Despite submission of files on the subject, no response has been received so far”, reads the communication No. GAD(Adm)231/-V dated July 20, 2015, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
“The staff/officials deployed in the Commissions/Boards are facing hardships for want of salary in the absence of extension orders. The Finance Department is requested to consider the proposal of GAD on priority basis keeping in view the fact that these employees have otherwise been declared surplus by the corporations and are drawing idle wages”, said the communiqué.
Through this communication, the GAD has also conveyed to the Finance Department that after deployment against available vacancies their services will be utilized without any financial implication.
Since deployment of surplus employees of PSUs/Corporations in Government Departments/ Organizations would help in utilization of their services in productive activities, the Finance Department should sort out the issue with the GAD as early as possible, the sources stressed, adding “by no stretch of imagination paying of idle wages to large number of employees can be justified”.
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