Leh, Kargil facing manpower shortage at key positions
No mechanism in place for fresh recruitments in Ladakh
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 29: The deadline for apportionment of employees of erstwhile State between the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh is over but there is no headway on this vital exercise as a result of which Ladakh is facing immense difficulties in ensuring smooth functioning of administration.
Moreover, no mechanism has yet been put in place in Ladakh Union Territory for start of fresh recruitments for want of recommendations from the Apex Committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The distribution of assets and liabilities of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir between the two Union Territories has almost been completed as per the approval given by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“However, the distribution of employees is still pending as a result of which the Union Territory of Ladakh is facing immense difficulties in ensuring smooth functioning of the departments”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “till date 19500 posts of various ranks have been given to the Ladakh UT but proper segregation of manpower has not been conducted by the UT of Jammu and Kashmir”.
All those employees who have been sent to the Union Territory of Ladakh till date are actually on deputation and technically they are the employees of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. “Unless formal segregation orders are issued by the J&K Government the difficulties being faced by the Ladakh in managing its affairs are not going to overcome”, they said.
The issue of apportionment of employees between two Union Territories was discussed in a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the month of January this year and it was decided to complete the exercise at the earliest so that both the UTs can focus on human resource management in the much better way.
Accordingly, the Chief Secretary of J&K had fixed deadline of March 31, 2021 for the completion of exercise and General Administration Department was directed to prepare the proposal and submit the same for the orders of the competent authority in deference to the requirements of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.
“However, even after expiry of deadline the exercise has not been completed much to the disappointment of the administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, which is bearing the brunt of delay in this regard”, sources further said, adding “the inordinate delay in apportionment of employees is notwithstanding the fact that Ministry of Home Affairs had stressed that this vital exercise should be completed at the earliest so as to ensure smooth functioning of Union Territory of Ladakh”.
“In the absence of proper apportionment, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir enjoys the powers to recall any employee presently on deputation to Ladakh and uncertainty will always loom large over smooth functioning of the administration in Ladakh UT”, they said while disclosing that at present there is no manpower to man 25% to 30% posts of various categories in the Ladakh UT”.
Further disclosing the plight of the UT of Ladakh vis-à-vis manpower, sources informed that no mechanism has so far been put in place for making fresh recruitments as the Apex Committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the subject has yet not submitted its recommendations.
“There will be clarity vis-à-vis modus operandi for making fresh recruitments only after detailed instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs”, they said while disclosing that Ladakh UT is continuously facing difficulties in ensuring smooth functioning of administration both at the Civil Secretariat level and in the field as such early apportionment of employees of erstwhile State Government and clarity about fresh recruitments are imperative.
About infrastructure, sources said that steps have been initiated for construction of Civil Secretariat, Raj Bhawan and other vital buildings and task has been assigned to Central Public Works Department and other agencies.
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