J&K has 40,672 vacant posts, only 899 new posts created since October 2024: Govt

Srinagar, September 21: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that 40,672 posts under the direct recruitment quota remain vacant across various departments, while only 899 new posts have been created since October 16, 2024.

The details were provided in response to questions raised by MLAs Sajad Gani Lone and Irfan Hafiz Lone, with the government outlining measures to ensure time-bound recruitment and filling of vacant positions.

According to government data, the vacant posts include 3,318 Gazetted, 24,427 Non-Gazetted and 12,927 Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) positions.

The Health and Medical Education Department accounts for the highest number of vacancies, with 12,797 posts, including 2,125 Gazetted, 8,064 Non-Gazetted and 2,608 MTS positions.

The Agriculture Production, Animal/Sheep Husbandry and Horticulture Department has 4,939 vacant posts, followed by Housing and Urban Development with 2,741 and Public Works (R&B) with 2,190 vacancies.

Other departments with significant vacancies include Finance (1,829), Industries and Commerce (1,787), Forest, Ecology and Environment (1,619), School Education (1,364), Youth Services and Sports (1,369), Power Development (1,264), Revenue (1,208), Jal Shakti (1,019) and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (836).

Government outlines recruitment measures

The government said steps were being taken to ensure the time-bound filling of vacancies, including timely identification and referral of posts to recruiting agencies, adherence to the statutory framework, advance planning of recruitment cycles and monitoring of recruitment timelines.

It added that efforts were underway to streamline procedures, strengthen coordination with recruiting agencies and leverage technology to expedite recruitment while ensuring transparency, fairness and merit.

Directions have also been issued to all departments for timely referral of vacancies under the direct recruitment quota to recruiting agencies in accordance with SRO-166 of 2005, dated June 14, 2005, and Circular No. 01-JK(GAD) of 2024, dated January 1, 2024.

The government said details of vacancies and posts referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) had been appended separately.

899 new posts created since October 2024

In a separate reply to a question raised by Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone, the government said that 899 new posts had been created across various departments since October 16, 2024.

The Health and Medical Education Department accounted for 485 of these posts, followed by Housing and Urban Development with 266 and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs with 82 posts.

The Jal Shakti Department created 43 posts, while the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) created 16 posts.

The remaining posts included three in Cooperatives, two in Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and one each in ARI & Trainings and Transport.

7,580 selections finalised by JKPSC, JKSSB

The government further informed the House that a total of 7,580 selections had been finalised by JKPSC and JKSSB since October 2024.

Of these, JKPSC finalised 1,768 selections, while JKSSB finalised 5,812 selections.

During the same period, a total of 14,270 vacancies were referred to the two recruitment agencies, including 1,852 vacancies to JKPSC and 12,418 to JKSSB.

The JKPSC referrals included vacancies under Open Merit, Scheduled Caste, ST-1, ST-2, OBC, ALC/IB, RBA, EWS, PSP and ST backlog categories.

The JKSSB referrals included 5,173 Open Merit, 1,104 Scheduled Caste, 1,248 ST-1, 1,212 ST-2, 933 OBC, 495 ALC/IB, 1,174 RBA and 1,079 EWS vacancies.

(KNO)