Srinagar, Aug 4: In a glaring case of official laxity, the J&K Rural Development Department (RDD) has failed to make appointments on 1700 posts under the Central Government’s flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) in the Valley.
Highly placed sources told Greater Kashmir that 1900 persons were to be employed as Gram Rozgar Sevaks (GRS) under MNREGS in Kashmir province, but only 200 such appointments have been made till date. According to the details available with Greater Kashmir, not a single appointment of GRS has been made in seven districts of the valley while least number of posts have been filled in the remaining three districts.
In Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, 69 posts have been filled against 283 vacancies. In Baramulla and Ganderbal districts, 106 and 3 posts have been filled respectively against the requirement of 365 and 103 posts respectively. The districts where all posts of GRS are lying vacant are: Bandipora (114 vacancies), Pulwama (186), Islamabad (Anantnag) (297), Kulgam (159), Kupwara (356), Srinagar (10) and Shopain (103).
GRS are appointed on contractual basis to monitor implementation of the projects taken up under MNREGS in rural areas on honorarium of Rs 4500 per month.
A top official in state administration, wishing anonymity, said that recruitment of supporting staff under MNREGS has been severely impeded due to non-seriousness of Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners Development of the districts.
“Earlier, appointment for contractual jobs under the program was done by respective Deputy Commissioners, but due to their other administrative assignments they miserably failed to make the engagements. Last year the State Employment Guarantee Council- the appointment making  body under MNREGS-  decided that ACDs will hold the assignment, but they proved no different from DCs vis-à-vis recruitment of staff,” the official said.
According to the official, the ACDs have turned deaf ears to repeated communiqués from administrative department over filling of vacancies for the past one year.
“In the last communiqué, they were directed to fill the posts by June ending, but they are taking the directives lightly,” he said, adding that after severe censuring only few districts have advertised the posts recently.
“Even in Kupwara where 143 posts were advertised last year, the selection process is yet to be completed,” the official added.
While 90 percent posts of GRS are lying vacant in the valley, paradoxically, 90 percent appointments for the said posts have been made in Jammu. Even in some districts like Samba and Kishtwar, excessive appointments were made. In the districts, normal requirement was respectively 100 and 134, but the present strength is respectively 105 and 145.
The details reveal that against the requirement of 1964 posts of GRS in Jammu province, 1794 are in position.
When contacted, Minister for Rural Development, Ali Muhammad Sagar admitted that there is inordinate delay in making the appointments.
“Yes, this is a serious concern and I have directed the officials to speed up the recruitment process. And if they failed to make all appointments by ending of this year, legal action would be initiated against defaulting officials,” Sagar told Greater Kashmir over phone.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 4 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 4 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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