Srinagar, June 1: While the number of jobless youth in Jammu and Kashmir has swelled to almost six lakh, the State Government is sitting over filling more than one lakh vacant posts in various departments in Jammu and Kashmir.
A source said the posts, both gazetted and non-gazetted, continue to lie vacant despite government keeping aside budgetary provisions annually for filling them up.
He said by the end of January this year, at least 5250 gazetted posts were lying vacant while the number of vacant non-gazetted posts had swelled up to 35,694, apart from 11350 class IV vacancies.  Besides, the Government has not filled up 43000 vacancies of daily wagers announced for seven identified departments.
Officials said government had issued order for engaging 43000 casual/seasonal laborers in seven departments.
While 10000 laborers each were to be engaged in Power and PHE/Irrigation and Flood Control Departments, 8000 engagements were to be made in Rural Development Department, 6000 each seasonal/casual engagements were targeted for Public Works and School Education departments, 2000  and 1000 laborers were to be absorbed in Floriculture and Forest Departments. But there has been no forward movement on the proposal.
A senior official in the State Finance Department said a “token budgetary provision” is annually kept for filling up of the vacant posts.
“The provision ranges from 10 percent to 25 percent of the total financial requirements needed for the posts,” the official said.
This March Government informed the State legislature that at least 5,97,000 unemployed youth had registered themselves with employment exchanges.
In contrast, the number of vacancies, both gazetted and non-gazetted, filled by the Government during past three years starting 2008 has been 29,797.
While 6026 recruitments were made by the Public Service Commission during the period, around 20241 posts were filled by the State Service Selection Board during the time. Another 3530 class IV appointments were made from 2009 to 2011.
The vacancies continue at a time when J&K is witnessing confrontation between government and its employees over enhancement of retirement age.
The State Government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been repeatedly asserting that there were not enough government jobs to accommodate youth in public sector, and at the same time it has sounded caution that hiking the retirement age would hit the career of unemployed youth.
“It is unfortunate that State Government is not filling up vacant posts to provide relief to at least one lakh unemployed youth though it continues to beat the chest on the problem of unemployment,” said employees Joint Consultative Committee member Khursheed Alam.
He said annually around 5000 posts become available with the government due to retirement of its employees. “Enhancing the retirement age of employees will not have any impact on employment process. Let government fill up these one lakh posts first,” Alam said.
He demanded that government should enhance the induction age of an employee from present 37 to 39 years to “nullify the bad effect of unemployment on youth.”
Another JCC member, Abdul Qayoom Wani, said as per their “survey” more than 1.5 lakh posts are lying vacant in different departments. “Given the pace of recruitment this government has undertaken, it will take another 20 years to fill up these posts,” Wani said. “Government should start recruitment drive on war footing to provide some kind of relief to youth.”
The State Law Minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar, said due to stay on the new job policy by the High Court, the process of filling up the vacant posts has got delayed.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST