J&K Govt adopts revised SRO-43; merit-based screening, monetary compensation introduced

22 August 2022

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SRINAGAR, August 22: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, today approved the adoption of Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme, 2022.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The decision is aimed at promoting equity, inclusion and accountability in providing compassionate appointment by introducing a criteria-based assessment for establishing compassion in the bereaved family based on best practices evolved out of experiential learning over the years, an official statement received by Ziraat Times said.

The new scheme will grant appointment or monetary compensation on compassionate grounds to a dependent family member of a Government servant, who may die in harness or as a result of militancy-related action or due to enemy action on the Line of Control/International Border within Jammu and Kashmir and is not involved in militancy-related activities or retires on invalid pension, thereby, leaving his family in penury and without any means of livelihood. The scheme will extend relief to the family of the Government servant and save them from financial destitution.

To bring greater transparency and equity, besides ensuring adequate safeguards against the misuse of the rehabilitation assistance framework, the new scheme has incorporated provisions for receiving online applications in a centralized manner in GAD on a designated portal; constituting a screening committee in GAD to make appraisal and recommendations; making the Administrative Secretary in the GAD the only competent authority for approving the case of compassionate appointment/monetary compensations (in cases where relaxations are not required); proposing a 5% cap for cases to be considered in relaxation of rules; making relaxation criteria more transparent/objective; and keeping applicants eligible for consideration upto 5 years from the date of submission of applications.

Further, under the new scheme, the number of vacancies and the merit list of the eligible candidates will be prepared annually and eligible candidates will be considered purely on the basis of merit obtained with regard to a point-based merit system on quarterly basis. Both the list of vacancies merit list of candidates will be put out in the public domain to make the process fully transparent and accountable.

The appointment on compassionate grounds will be made for the Multi Tasking Staff or equivalent or lowest non-Gazetted cadre posts in the Department. However, if an applicant is a Graduate or has higher qualification, there are provisions to allow discretion for considering appointment in the non-gazetted cadre.
However, the compassionate appointment cases still pending disposal in GAD under the existing SRO 43 for various reasons including relaxation of rules and identification of post in other department; will be dealt with in accordance with with SRO 43 of 1994, as amended from time to time.

Furthermore, the new scheme also provides for extending support to the dependants under various self employment/Government sponsored employment generating schemes for obtaining credit as per the laid down norms for setting up a manufacturing unit or a trading venture. The new scheme will put an end to the uncertainty that plagued the erstwhile Compassionate Appointment Rules due to which cases lingered on for years together. The new scheme is expected to provide immediate succour to NOKs of employees who die in harness.