Sakeena Itoo on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the recruitment process being carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board across various departments, including Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare, Education and Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura.
The meeting was attended by JKSSB Chairman Vikas Kundal, senior officers of the board, representatives from various departments and officials from SKIMS.
During the meeting, the Minister reviewed the progress made in filling vacancies across multiple categories and stressed the need to accelerate transparent and merit-based recruitment to address manpower shortages in key sectors, especially healthcare and education.
Addressing the officers, Sakeena Itoo reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring efficiency, accountability and fairness in the recruitment process. She directed the concerned authorities to strictly adhere to timelines and maintain transparency at every stage of selection.
The Minister instructed departments and JKSSB to work in close coordination so that vacant posts are filled promptly and selected candidates are deployed without unnecessary delays.
“Human resources, particularly in the health sector, are crucial for improving healthcare access and service delivery, especially in remote and underserved areas,” she said.
Highlighting the government’s focus on strengthening healthcare institutions, Sakeena Itoo emphasized that filling vacant posts remains a top priority to ensure adequate staffing and better public service delivery.
While reviewing the recruitment status at SKIMS Soura, the Minister directed the institution’s administration to maintain constant coordination with JKSSB for timely completion of pending recruitment processes. She described SKIMS as a premier healthcare institution and stressed the need for sufficient manpower to maintain uninterrupted healthcare services.
The Minister also asked JKSSB to explore the possibility of reducing application fees for advertised posts. She directed officials to study the fee structures of recruitment agencies in other states and Union Territories in view of the growing demand from aspirants seeking lower application charges.
During the meeting, JKSSB Chairman Vikas Kundal informed that 5,789 selections have been finalized across various departments during the last 18 months, marking a significant step towards streamlining recruitment and reducing vacancies in government sectors.
He said the selections include technical, paramedical, administrative and support staff posts in the Health and Medical Education Department along with several other important vacancies in education and allied departments.
The Chairman further informed that over 700 Junior Engineer selections were finalized last month and assured that recruitment for more than 150 posts in the Health and Medical Education Department would be completed within the next one-and-a-half months.
He also stated that around 12,997 posts are currently with JKSSB, including 6,109 unadvertised posts, 6,170 posts at the examination stage and 373 at the selection stage.
