Panel formed to look into daily wagers' regularisation: J&K CM Abdullah

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said a panel has been formed to address the issue of regularisation of daily wagers in the Union Territory, which will submit its recommendations to the government in six months.

The chief minister also said the National Conference government is committed to ensuring speedy recruitment to fill the vacant posts in government services in Jammu and Kashmir.

Responding to a question by BJP MLA Satish Sharma in the Assembly, Abdullah said, "A committee was announced in the Assembly last time, and a formal order was issued (for its formation). The committee has been constituted under the chief secretary to examine the issue."  The panel has been given a six-month time frame to assess the matter, and once the recommendations are received, the government will act accordingly, the chief minister said.

The J-K government on Wednesday constituted the six-member committee to examine the issues related to the regularisation of daily wage workers in the Union Territory.

On the issue of fast-track recruitment, Abdullah reaffirmed the government's commitment to filling vacancies efficiently.

"The J-K government has accelerated its recruitment process, filling over 15,000 vacancies in the past two years. As many as 13,466 non-gazetted vacancies were referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) in the past two years, of which 9,351 selections have been completed.

"Similarly, out of the 2,390 gazetted vacancies referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), 2,175 selections have been made," Abdullah said.

The chief minister also said that efforts are underway to further streamline hiring.

"We have identified 10,757 multi-task service (MTS) vacancies currently under review by the finance department. These positions will be referred to the recruiting agencies soon. Additionally, 6,000 vacancies are ready for referral and will be sent for recruitment shortly," he said.

To speed up the recruitment process, the government had abolished interviews for all posts up to Pay Level 5 (Rs 29,200-92,300). A recent order dated February 14 has removed the interview requirement for Level 6 posts, including for junior engineers and naib tehsildars.

Emphasising that the government is enhancing transparency and efficiency in recruitment, the chief minister said, "To ensure fair hiring, recruitment regulations were revised and notified on November 22, 2022. Now, computer-based written exams will be conducted, and a single exam will be held for multiple posts wherever possible."  The JKPSC and the JKSSB have been directed to adopt a target-based approach and complete recruitment within a set time frame.

"We aim to fill 1,502 gazetted and 5,751 non-gazetted vacancies by the end of this year, including 150 junior engineer posts recently referred to the JKSSB," Abdullah said.

Recruitment in the higher education department is also progressing, he added.

"We are processing 150 gazetted vacancies for assistant professors, librarians and physical training instructors. Out of the 840 vacancies already referred, 476 have been filled, and the selection process for the remaining 364 is going on. Additionally, 116 non-gazetted vacancies have been sent for financial clearance," Abdullah said.

The chief minister also reaffirmed that the government's focus is on expediting recruitment, ensuring fairness, and increasing employment opportunities across Jammu and Kashmir.