Srinagar, Dec 14: In a significant development, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has cleared the new recruitment policy for non-gazetted posts under which the appointees would be paid a stipend instead of salary for the first five years. Consequently, the Government has decided to go ahead with the recruitment policy which has evoked criticism among the educated youth.
Minister for Labor and Employment, Abdul Gani Malik, said the Government was waiting for Court’s response. “The Court has cleared implementation of the policy. Now all the recruitments for non-gazetted posts will be made under the new policy,” he said.
The State Cabinet had approved the policy in February 2011. However the Court had stayed its implementation in November last year on a Public Interest Litigation filed before the Kashmir Wing of the High Court. A PIL was filed in the Jammu Wing too. Chief Secretary Madhav Lal told Greater Kashmir that both the wings of the High Court have disposed of the case and cleared the scheme for implementation.
“Government will go ahead with the policy now,” the Chief Secretary said.
Chairman Services Selection Board, Muhammad Afzal Bhat, said all the new recruitments including those of non-gazetted cadre, Class-III and recruitments at district levels would now be carried under the new policy.
He said the policy would have prospective, not retrospective effect.
“In case of the posts where the recruitment process has been started, the old policy will be followed. However the posts which will be advertised now shall be filled under the new policy,” Bhat said.
He said government had earlier asked the Board to withhold the recruitment of posts from different departments after the policy was stayed by the Court.
“Those posts will be reframed by the departments for recruitment under new policy,” he said. The policy outlines any person appointed under the policy for Class-III and Class-IV posts shall be paid fixed monthly salary equivalent to 50 percent of the basic pay (Pay Band+Grade Pay) for the first 2 years at the minimum of the Pay Band.
For the next 3 years or during the remaining period out of total five years (if the period of probation has been extended) such an employee would be entitled to receive fixed salary of about 75 percent of the basic pay (PB+GP) at minimum of the Pay Band, officials said.
The period during which such employee receives fixed monthly salary, shall count for the purpose of all service benefits including seniority and pension contribution (under the New Pension Scheme).
For five years they would not get any Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and City Compensatory Allowance, etc.
Officials said switching over to the “Fixed Salary Mode” would require amending the Jammu and Kashmir Service Rules for which government will either have to bring an Ordinance or table a Bill in the upcoming budget session.
An official in Planning Department said the new policy was aimed at cutting down on the mounting salary bill which forms a huge component of non-revenue expenditure in the state.
On Thursday, the government ordered appointment of Prof Mushtaq Ahmad Peer as Consultant for “fast-tracking recruitment to non-gazetted posts.”
At least 73000 posts- 11292 posts in gazetted cadre, 45588 posts in non-gazetted cadre and 16009 posts of class-IV category – are lying vacant in different departments.
Besides, the Government has not filled up 43000 vacancies of daily wagers announced for seven identified departments.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 14 Dec 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:00:00 IST