Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Jan 31: Though Centre is pursuing all the States hard to implement its decision regarding abolition of interviews for Group C and D Posts falling under non gazetted services, the J&K falls under several States of the country which have delayed its implementation so far.
According to sources in the State corridors of power, the previous coalition Government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in principle had agreed to implement the decision regarding the abolition of interviews for the Class-IV and Class-III posts to make the recruitment process smooth and hassle free. However, much headway could not be made in this regard due to the sudden death of the Chief Minister early this month and imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State.
Sources said that Sayeed was himself very keen in smoothening of recruitment process and abolition of interviews as the same was not only cumbersome but has given rise to favoritism and corruption due to which the genuine and deserving candidates were deprived of a Government job on merit basis.
Sources said the former CM had no reservations about the Union Government’s decision regarding abolition of interviews and he had also issued instructions to the officers to work out modalities for the same so that the J&K could follow suit. However, no headway was later made in this regard after the fall of coalition Government and imposition of Governor’s Rule in the State, sources added.
The Union Government had informed all the State Governments and heads of union territories to expedite the process of abolishing the interviews in their respective States. Some States including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Assam have already started the process in this regard and they are going to implement the decision as early as possible. However, majority of the States including J&K are lagging behind, sources added.
Sources said Union Minister in PMO, DoPT with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh had written a letter to all CMs of the country to start the process in their respective States. This was followed by another communiqué from Secretary DoPT, Sanjay Kothari to all Chief Secretaries of the States in September last year.
Sources said a meeting of the Secretaries of General Administration Departments of all the States was also convened by DoPT in Union Capital later to apprise them the benefits of this people friendly decision of the Union Government. While many States responded to Centre’s communiqué however, the reply from J&K and several other States is still awaited, sources added.
Commissioner Secretary, GAD Gazzanfar Hussain said that J&K was also in the process of implementation of the decision. However, it was delayed as the State was put under Governor’s Rule. It is the prerogative of the State Government to decide that for which posts the interviews can be held and for which not but the decision in this regard will only be taken by the Cabinet, he added.
When contacted, Dr Jitendra Singh said that his Ministry is pursuing the States to expedite the process so that the recruitment for the non gazetted posts is made more transparent and youth of the country are also benefited.
Sources said Maharashtra Government has made a significant progress so far as the implementation of the decision is concerned. The State has made recruitments in various departments without conducting the interviews and this way also made a huge saving as the hefty sum spent on conducting of interviews was also saved. Even Gujarat is also in the process of implementing the same and it has worked out all the modalities in this regard, sources added.
Sources said Jharkhand, Goa, Assam, MP, Chhattisgarh and some States of North East have also appreciated the decision of Union Government and have shown their willingness to implement the same.
However, no response has yet come from the States like, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Karnataka and the Union Government is waiting for the same.
Sources said that Union Government has asked the State Governments that their respective State Public Service Commissions (SPSCs) and Service Selection Recruitment Boards (SSRBs) be assigned the duty to ascertain for which posts the interviews are needed and for which not.
It may be recalled that Union Government has abolished the interviews for the Group C&D besides some posts of Group B from January first this year. However, for some special posts like cooks, barbers etc technical tests can be held.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his August 15 address at Red Fort New Delhi had announced that he will be the happiest person if the interviews will be abolished for group C& D posts in the country and since then the Ministry of DoPT worked overnight to make it practicable from January Ist this year, sources said.
Sources said that the instructions have been given to Secretaries of all departments including the recruiting agencies by the Union Ministry of DoPT that in a special case if the interview was mandatory for any post they have to seek a special permission from the DoPT in this regard.
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