Law Deptt seeks names of ‘illegal’ appointees from Assembly Sectt
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 25: As majority of the departments have not acted on the earlier instructions within the given time-frame, the Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta has issued directions for furnishing of information with regard to contracts given on nomination/single source basis and backdoor appointments made with effect from 2010 to 2023 expeditiously.
Meanwhile, an exercise has been set into motion to identify ‘illegal’ appointees in the Secretariat of Assembly Secretariat and erstwhile Secretariat of Legislative Council and to amend the rules so as to ensure fair appointment of staff in future.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the meeting of Committee of Secretaries held on May 17, 2023 the current scenario with regard to the development was discussed in detail and it was decided to frame lists of the all the contracts given on nomination/single source basis with effect from 2010 to 2023.
The directions were also issued for submission of lists of backdoor appointments made with effect from 2010 to 2023 and the number of projects completed during this period. It was further directed that these lists should be furnished to the office of the Chief Secretary treating the matter as most urgent in any case not later than a month.
“Though the one month time-frame fixed by the Chief Secretary is over yet majority of the departments have not furnished the details to the office of Chief Secretary and this issue again came up for discussion in a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries held few days back”, sources said, adding “the Chief Secretary has now directed all the departments to furnish the awaited information expeditiously”.
As per the sources, large number of contracts were given on nomination/single source basis and without following the guidelines in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir particularly in the Public Health Engineering, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Departments, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation and Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation.
Similarly, several backdoor appointments were made in the Urban Local Bodies which fall under the administrative control of Housing and Urban Development Department, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council Secretariats in blatant violation of the laid down norms.
Meanwhile, acting on the directions of the Chief Secretary, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has written to the Legislative Assembly Secretariat and a cell of the erstwhile Legislative Council to furnish names of the ‘illegal’ appointees as early as possible.
“Majority of the appointments in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat and in the erstwhile Legislative Council were made on the directions of respective Speakers of Assembly and Chairmen of the Council that too without following due procedure”, sources said.
No doubt Speakers and Chairmen were competent to make appointments as per the rules but transparent procedure was required to be followed to give chance of appointment to all the eligible candidates as per the provisions of the Constitution, they added.
Apart from identifying the appointments made by the respective Speakers of the Legislative Assembly without following transparent procedure, the Secretariat of the House has also set into motion an exercise to amend the rules governing the appointments, sources said, adding “in the rules the Government is going to clearly mention that non-gazetted posts should be referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board and gazetted posts to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission for filling the vacancies in transparent manner”.
“The amended rules after being cleared by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs will be submitted to the Government for approval by the Administrative Council headed by Lieutenant Governor”, sources said.
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