Srinagar, Apr 07: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said several offices and departments in Bandipora district are facing staff shortages. It, however, assured that efforts are underway to fill the vacant posts in a time-bound and transparent manner.
The assurance came in response to a question tabled by MLA Bandipora Nizam-ud-din Bhat during the second session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, regarding the filling up of vacancies and the effect of staff shortage on the smooth functioning of government offices.
In its reply, the government said all departments in Bandipora are currently functioning smoothly, and that a rational distribution of staff across all departments and districts in the Union Territory has been undertaken to ensure the proper functioning of the administrative machinery. However, it added that if any issues regarding the shortage of staff are reported in any district or office, such matters are attended to on priority.
The government provided detailed figures of the sanctioned strength, filled posts, and vacancies across various departments in Bandipora. According to the data, the district has a total sanctioned staff strength of 11,197 posts, of which 8,472 are currently filled, while 2,725 posts remain vacant.
The School Education Department has 705 vacancies out of a sanctioned strength of 4,505, followed by the Power Development Department with 243 vacancies out of 501 sanctioned posts.
Other major departments facing shortages include the Rural Development Department with 180 vacancies out of 430 posts, the Chief Medical Officer’s office with 179 vacancies out of 669, Jal Shakti with 177 out of 299, and the Chief Agriculture Officer’s Department with 153 vacancies out of 263. The Forest Department, PW (R&B), and other vital offices like Social Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Urban Local Bodies, and AYUSH are also working with significant staff deficits.
The reply further mentioned that the government has issued clear directions to all administrative departments to fix recruitment targets to be achieved within the first 100 days and for the full year—from 20th November 2024 to 20th November 2025. These directions include speeding up efforts to complete recruitment against available vacancies in a transparent and time-bound manner.
In this regard, both the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) have been directed to adopt a proactive and target-based approach to complete recruitment on priority. The government aims to fill 1,502 gazetted vacancies and 5,751 non-gazetted vacancies by the end of the year.
The government said that a clear transfer policy is in effect, outlined in Government Order No. 861-GAD of 2010. It specifies that the minimum tenure for government employees is two years, with a maximum of three years, extendable up to five years for critical projects with ministerial approval.
Premature transfers can occur for reasons such as poor performance, ongoing inquiries, or public interest. Health-related transfers are permitted with medical certification from approved Medical Boards. All administrative departments strictly follow this policy, the government said.
