J&K Cabinet decides to constitute sub-committee to review job reservation policy

Jammu (The Uttam Hindu): J&K Cabinet decided on Friday to form a cabinet sub-committee to review the job reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir. The cabinet headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met on Friday and decided to form a Cabinet sub-committee to review the reservation policy. The sub-committee will hold talks with all the stakeholders to arrive at a logical conclusion as to the number of jobs to be reserved for each category.

Earlier, a controversy erupted after the J&K Public Service Commission issued an advertisement for the posts of lecturers in the School Education Department. The Public Service Commission issued an advertisement for the submission of applications for 575 posts of lecturers out of which 60 per cent were for reserved categories while only 238 posts are available for open merit candidates. In addition to the opposition, ruling National Conference (NC), Lok Sabha member, Syed Ruhullah Mehdi came out openly criticising the reservation policy.

Ruhullah has threatened to sit on dharna outside the office of the Chief Minister until the reservation policy is withdrawn and a fresh reservation policy is announced. The Cabinet also approved the speech of Lt Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha made in the legislative assembly. The Chief Minister has also directed all ministers to start the process of implementation of the assurances given in the L-G’s speech. J&K is reportedly at the top of the unemployment table among the states and UTs in the country with the maximum number of educated and trained unemployed youth. Reportedly the Chief Minister has also flagged the unemployment issue as a serious issue facing Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also directed ministers to start the exercise of identifying posts for recruitment in departments under their charge to tackle the problem. After various departments identified the number of vacant posts, these were then subsequently referred to the service selection board in case of recruitment to non-gazetted posts and to the public service commission in case of recruitment to gazetted posts.