Jammu: A government order to promote a contractual employee, out of turn, has shocked her senior colleagues including permanent employees in Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI).
The order under the subject ‘restructuring of JKEDI-posting of Technical officer thereof’ was issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government Industries and Commerce Department, Ranjan P. Thakur on Wednesday.
“It is hereby ordered that Mrs (name withheld), Assistant Faculty in JKEDI shall report in the Administrative Department to function as Technical Officer (JKEDI) to aid and assist Secretary in the Industries and Commerce Department in dealing matters related to JKEDI. The officer shall continue to draw her salaries from the parent Institute,” the order read.
However, the order caused anger, especially among the senior employees who questioned the decision of the government on the plea that she is among 48 employees who are working on a contractual basis since their appointment in 2018.
“She was appointed on January 19, 2018 as Assistant Faculty on a contractual basis. All the 46 employees are getting extensions in their services on a monthly basis and picking her by ignoring the most deserving senior employees is bound to raise eyebrows,” a couple of senior employees told news agency Kashmir News Trust.
Seeking a review of the decision, they said they have raised the issue to ensure justice and want to appeal to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to look into the matter and set the records straight.
The JKEDI recruited 48 employees for various faculty and non-faculty positions on a contractual basis in 2017 and 2018 against substantive positions. These employees had been posted across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“The decision smells of favoritism and is against the service rules,” they said. (KNT)
