The government has cancelled two more recruitment processes—Finance Accounts Assistants and Junior Engineers (Civil)— conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board recently and has ordered a CBI probe into it. This follows cancellation of the selection process for about 1200 police Sub Inspectors earlier and investigation by the country’s premier investigation agency into it.
The JKSSB is required under rules to finalize the selection list which shall be equal to the number of vacancies for which requisition was made and recommend it to the concerned appointing authority. While the selection list remains in force for a period of six months from the date it is accepted by the appointing authority, the latter competent to not accept it for reasons to be recorded and return the same to the Board for making fresh selection.
The administration maintains that it will not gloss over any irregularities and it is perhaps the best thing for all the candidates who toil hard to get employment in government services. The law on the subject is no more res judicata, meaning in simple terms that a matter stands already adjudicated by the competent courts and in case of the direct recruitment, the inclusion of in select list does not endow any legal right to a candidate.
Lot of effort is made into the selection process, both by the authorities concerned and most of the candidates who vie for the selection against a particular post. The use of corrupt means, both by people at the helm of affairs as well as by the candidates cannot and should not be condoned. While the government has handed over the CBI probe related to SI selections, it is following the suit as far as FAAs and Civil service elections are concerned. One expects the premier investigation agency to bring to book officers and officials who directly or discreetly connived to carry out the apparent irregularities as well as the beneficiary candidates. Guilty officers and officials as well as the beneficiaries should be dealt with severest possible punishment. At the same time, the government must work out a solution based on its internal findings as well as brought to fore by the investigations agencies to prevent irregularities from taking place. A mechanism ought to be ensured which prevents, or to the extent possible minimizes irregularities from happening as it is about trust and confidence a candidate reposes in the recruitment bodies to be fair. While stern action against errant shall be ensured as a means of deterrent, fair and transparent selection process with promptitude must be ensured to reclaim the faith in the system.
