Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Sunday intensified her criticism of the Jammu and Kashmir government’s outsourcing policy, demanding greater transparency in the recruitment process and disclosure of contracts awarded to private agencies.
In a post on social media platform X, Mufti questioned why the government was spending “hundreds of crores” on outsourcing jobs to private companies and sought clarity on how these firms were selected.
“Our simple questions to the J&K Government: Why are hundreds of crores being spent on outsourcing jobs to private companies? Who selected these companies and what was the selection process? On what basis are people being recruited without a transparent merit-based process? Will the government make these contracts and recruitment details public?” she wrote.
Her remarks come amid a growing political controversy over the government’s outsourcing policy. Opposition parties have alleged that thousands of appointments are being made through private agencies without open advertisements or a transparent merit-based recruitment process, bypassing established recruitment bodies such as the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC).
The National Conference-led government has rejected the allegations, stating that outsourcing is being carried out in accordance with existing rules to address manpower requirements across various departments. Senior ministers have also accused previous governments, including the PDP, of adopting similar outsourcing practices during their tenure. (Agencies)
