“There are different categories of posts; some are technical posts having prescribed qualification, whereas some posts are of general nature without any prior specification. The government will sort it out with the department”
K Koushal
Despite doing well in the selection process, scores of class IV candidates have been plunged into ambiguity, courtesy lack of coordination between Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (SSB) and Estates Department.
According to one of the candidates, they were selected for the post of Class-IV under the advertisement No. 01 of 2020, dated 26-06-2020 vide JKSSB Govt. Order No. SSB/Secy/Class-IV/2021/7054-62, dated 15-10-2021.
“After document verification, the candidates were allotted departments by JKSSB vide Order No. SSB/Secy/Class-IV/202/7093-7102, dated 18-10-2021,” said one of the candidates, adding that they were allotted to the Estate Department.
They said that the concerned department issued four joining orders but unfortunately those higher up in the matter were not in the list.
“When we asked the concerned department officials about missing our names from the list, they said that there is no vacancy in the department,” said the candidate, adding that they told the candidates to wait.
Candidates rued that despite passage of more than eight months, there was no communication from the government. However, they came to know that the file of pending selected candidates of class IV has been sent back to the General Administrative Department.
“We came to know that the list has been sent back to the GAD due to non-availability of posts in Divisional cadre,” said candidates, adding that since then they have visited GAD a number of times, but only false promises have been received.
They alleged that many government departments have already issued joining letters to the candidates of lower merit without any delay, but in case of estates department, they appear to be ‘not in a mood’ to entertain the recommended list of candidates, forwarded by JKSSB.
“After sometime GAD vide letter No. GAD-Mtg0RB/316/2021-09-GAD, dated 28-01-2022 was sent to JKSSB, in which GAD clearly mentioned that Estate Department has shortage of vacancies,” they said and added that if there is shortage of vacancies in divisional cadre in the Estate Department, they should be accommodated at earliest.
A senior official of the Estates Department alleged that a major problem lies in the coordination among different departments.
“Government sought details of class-IV vacancies from all departments and all the departments complied with the directions and submitted their requirements along with their recruitment rules,” said the official, wishing anonymity. He added that unfortunately, GAD forwarded all the vacancies to the JKSSB, which conducted a common recruitment process for all the departments.
He asserted that in this common recruitment process, the recruitment rules and regulations were compromised and this is where the problem lies in the case of the Estates Department, wherein most of the posts were technical.
Meanwhile, talking to The Typewriter, Assistant Director of Estates Department-Braham Raj said that for state cadre class IV post, it requires a diploma as per recruitment rules of the department, but SSB recommended a list of selected candidates without having a diploma.
“We took up the matter with the GAD and it was brought into their knowledge that this post is although class IV but its requirement is diploma holder,” said Raj, adding that GAD sought a list of surplus people and vacancies that can be utilized.
He shared that the GAD has returned back file to the JKSSB, with instructions to adjust them in any other department.
When asked how the Estates Department ‘cherry-picked’ few of the recommended selected candidates when no one was having a Diploma, the Assistant Director said that they choose the meritorious ones from the list for the vacancies, where they can be utilized, especially for the posts where diploma was not required.
When contacted Commissioner Secretary GAD, Manoj Dwivedi said that it was not in his knowledge, but now since he got to know about it, he will sort it out.
“There are different categories of posts, some are technical posts having prescribed qualification, whereas some posts are of general nature without any prior specification,” he said and added that the government will sort it out with the department.
He further maintained that if the department has sent the file back to the GAD, he will see into it and sort it out as soon as possible.
“We cannot deny an opportunity to any candidate after selection, as they are not at fault and have come through a due process,” said Manoj Dwivedi.
