Srinagar, May 9: Jammu and Kashmir government has finally decided to r egularize around 161 doctors engaged in Indian System of Medicines (ISM) department on contractual basis.
 Well informed sources told Greater Kashmir today said the matter would come for the discussion during the cabinet meeting to be chaired by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at civil secretariat here on Thursday.
 The Health Department has mooted the proposal due to the technical difficulty cropped after the finance department raised objection over the proposal to regularize the ISM doctors on the pattern of other contractual appointees of the state government under Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act.
 Sources said that one of the prime requirements for all the contractual appointees to be regularized under the Act is that such appointment should have been made against an available vacancy. “However, the ISM doctors were engaged without any vacancy”, sources in the department said adding, “The department has the sanctioned strength of around 411 doctors and not a single vacancy was available”.
 “The department has now sought one time exception to adjust all the contractual appointees”, sources said adding that the new posts so created will be adjusted against the vacancies to be available after retirement of the doctors appointed against sanctioned strength. “The process may take years together but at least the matter of the contractual appointees, whose fate continues to hang in balance, will be solved if approved by the cabinet”.
 The cabinet is also expected to give nod to the transfer of 202 kanal of land to Industries Department for establishment of Industrial Growth Center at Majalta Jammu.
 Though the agenda circulated among the ministers today has no mention of any reshuffle agenda, sources said that administrative reshuffle in large scale was eminent.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 IST