Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 12: The State Government’s much hyped fast track recruitment of 60,000 to 70,000 unemployed youths has turned out to be a virtual “non-starter’’ mainly due to delay in finalisation of vacancies by the Departments, litigations in some cases, shortage of staff with recruitment agencies and framing of rules for some of the appointments.
Though the Government hoped that the fast-track recruitment would pick up in the next few months, official sources confirmed that the process was likely to take time owing to delay on part of some departments to furnish the list of vacancies. Moreover, they said, the Government too hasn’t issued clear guidelines to the recruitment agencies on fast-track recruitments.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his other Cabinet colleagues had announced in budget session of the Legislative Assembly as well as outside that the Government would fill up 60,000 to 70,000 vacancies in different departments on fast-track basis to reduce unemployment in the State.
Sources admitted that even after three months of the announcement, the fast-track recruitment has failed to take up and the recruitment agencies of the Government were busy with normal process of filling up the vacancies.
“There was nothing like fast track recruitment. The recruitment agencies are carrying out their normal business,’’ sources said, adding that the Departments were required to come out with all vacancies in the shortest possible time to facilitate absorption of youth. However, most of the Departments haven’t come out with the list of their vacancies so far.
Further, the Government had proposed to engage 43,000 casual workers in —– Departments, the vacancies for which had been identified way back in 2011. But even after the lapse of a two years period, the Government was unable to decide the guidelines for engagement of casual employees.
“The guidelines for absorption of 43,000 casual employees, which was committed by the Government in the Legislature as well as outside, have not been framed yet. Certainly these vacancies can’t be referred to recruitment agencies. The Head of Departments (HoDs) or other officers would be given powers for their absorption,’’ sources said but admitted that the Government has not been able to take a decision on the absorptions so far.
As per a Government order, 43,000 casual employees were to be engaged in Power Development Department (10,000), PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control (10,000), Public Works Department (6,000), Rural Development Department (8,000), Floriculture (2,000), School Education (6,000) and Forest Department (1,000).
The sources declined to comment on whether these 43,000 appointments of casual employees were included in the list of 60,000 to 70,000 fast track recruitments or not.
They added that the Government should have come out with comprehensive orders directing all departments to refer the vacancies to recruitment agencies and then asked them to fill up the posts within the specified time period to fulfill the commitment of fast-track recruitment.
However, in the absence of guidelines, the Government agencies were going ahead with normal process of recruitment though in some cases they tried to come out with the lists within shortest possible time. In some of these cases, the recruitment agencies had to face litigations, thus, blocking the entire recruitment process.
Sources admitted that shortage of staff with some of the recruitment agencies was also a hindrance in the fast-track recruitment but pointed out that one of the recruitment agency was itself not interesting in getting more members for the recruitment.
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