Srinagar, Mar 5: In blatant violation of the recruitment rules, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered appointment of 29 Urdu “illiterates” as Naib Tehsildars. Interestingly, the appointees have been asked to pass Urdu examination in a year to fulfil the eligibility criteria for the post. “The orders were issued by the Revenue Department earlier this week. However, there are presently only five NT posts available for these 29 selectees, as the revenue department had exceeded the selection of the candidates against the available vacancies,” official sources told Greater Kashmir on Friday.    
 Notwithstanding the criticism over selection of the Urdu illiterates as Naib Tehsildars, the state cabinet had last month approved their appointment following a proposal moved by the Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla.
 The decision had evoked strong resentment among the dropped-out Urdu knowing candidates especially from the Kashmir division who had sought High Court’s intervention in the matter.
 “It is the violation of the Revenue Subordinate Recruitment Rules and amounts to contempt of the Court,” counsel of the candidates, Riyaz Khawar, had said.
 In 2002, 2005 and 2008 the SSRB had issued three notifications for 111 posts of NTs. The interviews were conducted in September 2009 and subsequently the selection was made with only 23 candidates getting selected from Kashmir division.
 Ironically in violation of Jammu and Kashmir subordinate Revenue Recruitment Rules, 29 candidates from Jammu, not fulfilling the eligibility criteria figured among the selectees. The Rules provide that a graduate with Urdu in Matric as one of the subject can only be appointed as Naib Tehsildar.
 The decision was challenged by the dropout candidates in the High Court, which in turn directed the state government to reserve 22 posts for the petitioners.
 Interestingly, the Financial Commissioner Revenue in his objections in one of the writ petitions had informed the Court that Urdu as one the subjects in the Matric was essential eligibility for being appointed as Naib Tehsildar. He had conceded that despite lacking the qualification, 29 candidates were selected.
 However he had reportedly asked the Government to grant one-time exemption for the 29 candidates lacking the eligibility criteria.
 The dropped out candidates were apprehending that if exemption was given to the selectees, it could become precedence.
 Accordingly they had challenged the selection through a writ petition 1727/2009.
 Not long ago, the former chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, had voiced grave concern over the plight of the state’s official language. Azad had admitted in the Assembly in January 2007 that raw deal had been meted out to the language and promised to formulate a plan to restore its lost glory.
 In fact, he had announced setting up of an Urdu Academy in the state, a solemn commitment yet to be fulfilled by the government.
 According to sources, only six per cent of the non-local officials in Kashmir are well versed with Urdu. And, for other non-local officers, especially in Police, Revenue and Courts, the official communications, documents and files are translated for them by their Urdu-knowing subordinates.
 The state’s General Administration Department had last year issued a circular for the development of Urdu but nothing concrete has come out of it so far.
 The decision to appoint Urdu illiterates as NTs comes at a time when the state government is beating drum of reviving the long ignored Urdu which is the official language of the state.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 5 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 5 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST