The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Sunday rejected allegations of making “backdoor appointments” through outsourcing, asserting that the practice is only a temporary administrative arrangement and not a substitute for regular recruitment.
Addressing a joint press conference on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, along with Cabinet Ministers Sakeena Itoo and Javid Ahmad Dar, said the opposition was spreading misinformation regarding the government’s employment policy.
Wani said the government remains committed to filling vacancies through a transparent and merit-based recruitment process in a phased manner. He challenged the opposition, particularly the PDP, to provide evidence supporting its allegations of backdoor appointments.
“We are committed to conducting recruitment without any irregularities and strictly on merit,” Wani said, adding that the present recruitment system has moved beyond controversies such as paper leaks and alleged manipulation witnessed in the past.
Clarifying the government’s stand, Wani said outsourcing and recruitment are entirely different processes. He described outsourcing as a temporary, need-based administrative arrangement carried out through agencies selected via an open tender process.
He further stated that the existing outsourcing framework was introduced between 2015 and 2018 during the PDP-BJP government and has merely continued under the present administration.
Minister Sakeena Itoo said outsourcing is neither permanent employment nor a replacement for regular government recruitment. She reiterated the government’s commitment to providing one lakh jobs during its tenure.
According to Itoo, the government has already referred 724 lecturer posts and 624 paramedical posts for recruitment through the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). She also said nearly 900 doctors have been recruited, with around 500 already joining service, while the remaining candidates are undergoing verification.
She clarified that outsourced personnel are engaged only under centrally sponsored schemes such as Samagra Shiksha and Mission Vatsalya (ICPS) and are not entitled to benefits available to regular government employees, including pension, grade pay, dearness allowance and travel allowance.
Itoo added that direct engagement of casual, seasonal and daily-wage workers by government departments was discontinued in 2015, after which outsourcing through empanelled agencies became the approved mechanism.
Minister Javid Ahmad Dar also defended the policy, stating that outsourcing is a common practice across India under centrally funded schemes and is not carried out against sanctioned government posts.
The government accused the opposition of misleading unemployed youth by portraying outsourcing as permanent government employment and reiterated that all regular recruitment will continue through transparent and merit-based procedures.
(Agencies)
