Special audit reveals irregularities in adjustments, promotions at EDI

 

Blames institution for appointing employees in excess, issuing ambiguous advertisements

Ibni Maqbool

Srinagar, Oct 6: A special audit ordered by the Jammu & Kashmir Government into the Entrepreneurship Development Institute has uncovered massive irregularities and violations in the recruitment process in the institution.

The 41-page audit report submitted to J&K’s Financial Commissioner, Finance department has laid bare irregularities in adjustments, promotions and appointment of employees in excess of advertised posts.

According to the report, the authorities have adjusted some employees working on scheme/ tenure posts against substantive posts without going through selection process.

“As per JKEDI organisational, structural, strategic plan, service and recruitment rules-2013 notified vide no.EDI/DIR-166 OF 2013 dated, 01-03-201, all the employees on regular cadre of the institute had to be placed against appropriate positions under the new structure. However, the authorities have also adjusted the employees working on scheme based/tenure posts against substantive posts without going through selection process,” reads the report, a copy of which is in possession of Precious Kashmir.

“The temporary post appointments were made initially on one designation. The adjustments have been made against other/ different designations.”

The audit has also noticed that some employees adjusted against substantive posts have been considered for promotion without completing their probation period.

It has also pointed out that there are instances when employees appointed was in excess of advertised posts.

“ The audit observed that in some instances only one post was to be filled up and the institute has appointed more than one,” the report states.

The audit has also questioned advertisement notices issued by the EDI for jobs, saying they were ambiguous and misleading.

“ In almost all the advertisements, the audit noted that in the advertisements against posts  to be filled on substantive basis, the advertisements have only mentioned that the post is to be filled on contract basis for one or two years.  The contractual appointees have been regularized thereafter against the advertised posts after the completion of such contractual period. Thus, the candidates with higher qualification , experience and research background may have been reluctant for applying on the particular as the future of the appointment was not clear thereby diluting the healthy competition,” the report reads.

The report also states that the selection criteria adopted by the selection committee for various posts has not remained uniform throughout.

“ For instance, the selection committee in promoting employees under the reserved quota of posts have considered and given weightage to seniority in some cases and in others seniority has not been considered,” it states.

The audit also states that authorities have not verified documents and experience certificates submitted by the employees who have appointed in EDI.

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