‘No DPC for decades, many retire on same post’
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 26: Awaiting promotions for decades, the employees are upset with the administration because despite finalisation of the seniority list, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council has put the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meet on hold for months.
Sources in the J&K Sports Council said that the final seniority list has been ready with the department for the last more than six months but the DPC is lingering on for the reason best known to the people at the helm of affairs. “Many employees have retired on the same rank, waiting for the conduct of DPC but the J&K Sports Council has yet to take a call in this regard,” sources said.
They revealed that the tentative final seniority list was prepared in the month of December 2020 and was revised on March 31, 2021 but the DPC is still kept on hold for known reasons.
Promotions in the J&K Sports Council as per the laid norms were pending since years and many employees have reportedly attained superannuation without getting elevated to next designations, they said.
Earlier in April, DPC was scheduled but due to the absence of the senior officials of the Sports Council, Administrative officers from the Department of Youth Services and Sports and the Finance Department, it was postponed, sources added.
Over 300 employees comprising Coaches, Instructors, Managers, Store Keepers, Ground Incharge, Drivers, Photographers and others, are having eyes on much awaited DPC, pending since decades.
“As per the insiders in the Council, the promotions have been put on hold since a long to allegedly appease some of the `blue-eyed’ people, who were even ‘not eligible’ and ‘qualified’ but, have been given special favours, following which the promotions of the deserving people have come to standstill,” sources added.
As per the norms, sources said, Junior Coach is to be promoted to senior level followed by Chief Coach, Manager, Sports Officer, Divisional Sports Officer and then the Chief Sports Officer.
“Previously, five year time frame was a fixed ladder in promotion, and then was reduced to the period of three years but unfortunately, many of the employees are still awaiting promotion despite meeting seniority and eligibility criteria,” they added.
Before revocation of Article 370, the total posts of managers in the Sports Council were 22, but after the bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories, two posts were shifted to UT of Ladakh and 20 remained with UT of J&K.
“In some cases the seniority list has been sidelined to accommodate favourites and when objections were filed, the promotion process was stalled,” they said.
Pertinent to mention here that facing crisis, J&K Sports Council presently is having 50 percent of the total strength of coaches required.
“The employees were happy when the final seniority list was approved in the month of March and everyone was waiting for the DPC because years have passed, the employees were not promoted,” said one of the employees.
“Some of the employees awaiting promotions have also retired while serving on the same designation/ post for decades,” they added.
The employees expressed that the sports sector under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is flourishing and have been given special focus but the fate of the J&K Sports Council employees still remains hanging in balance.
They, however, have appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the President of J&K Sports Council and his Advisor, Farooq Khan, In-charge Department of Youth Services and Sports to issue direction to the officials concerned for further action so that timely justice can be delivered to the deserving and hapless employees of the J&K Sports Department.
Secretary, Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul when contacted said that Council has initiated process of conducting DPC of carious cadres and it will be held shortly. When asked why decision was so delayed on the tentative seniority list already prepared by Sports Council in December last year, the Secretary claimed “she had no knowledge about it’.
On being asked about massive stagnation in the Sports Council non-conduct of DPCs for decades, she claimed that the officials concerned were on the job and it will now be done shortly. When asked about shortage of over 50 per cent coaches of different categories and many vacant posts lying in the Department, discouraging sports lovers and youth in J&K, Nuzhat Gul said, the vacant posts have been referred to the JKSSRB.
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