Govt scraps recruitment process for 1200 associates, 250 POs in J&K bank

Srinagar, Feb 27: Jammu and Kashmir government has scrapped the ongoing recruitment process for 1200 banking associates and 250 probationary officers in J&K bank.

 The government has asked the finance department to advise the bank to initiate a fair and transparent process for filling up the vacant post on the fast-track basis.

  Principal Secretary Planning, Development, and Monitoring Rohit Kansal said the decision to scrap the ongoing recruitment process and invite fresh application was taken in the Administrative Council meeting which was chaired by Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu in Jammu on Thursday.

 “The issue had been ongoing since 2018. Various legal infirmities had been pointed out in the ongoing process. Therefore the ongoing process of recruitment for these posts shall stand scrapped”, he said

The Council, he said, directed the Finance Department to advise J&K Bank to initiate a fresh, fair, norm-based and transparent recruitment for 50 probationary officers and 1200 banking associates in the J&K Bank through the IBPS.

 “The entire recruitment process will be completed on a fast track basis within three months. The detailed modalities and announcements in this regard will be finalized by the bank in its next board meeting. The bank is being advised to ensure that all applicants eligible in the last recruitment, which has been canceled, shall be eligible for the fresh recruitment also”, he said.

Kansal also noted that the Council has also approved an amnesty scheme for the power consumers which will come into effect from March 1, 2020.

“To prevent disconnections and facilitate easy payment, the amnesty scheme envisages payment of arrears in three easy installments,” he said.

 Kansal said 25 percent of the payment is to be made by March 31, 2020, 40 percent by April 30, 2020, and remaining 35 percent by May 31, 2020.

 “Consumers who miss the first installment will lose 5% of the benefit while those missing the second will lose 10% of the benefit. Failure to pay all three installments by May 31 will, however, lead to immediate disconnection”, he said.

 Kansal said it has also been decided that after June 1, no power will be supplied to the defaulting customers unless the arrears are cleared in full. “It is estimated that waiver of penalties and interests will cost around Rs 600 crore to the government as against total pending dues of Rs 3000 crore,” he said.

 The Administrative Council discussed the difficulties being faced by the local industry.

Lieutenant Governor directed the Finance Department to prepare an estimate of interest liabilities of industries operating in J&K owing to the situational difficulties being faced by these industries.

“It was decided that the Finance Department will carry out this exercise in consultation with other departments. Industries department will engage in a wide-spread stakeholder consultation to prepare a policy for incentivizing the local industry on similar lines as is being done for attracting investors from outside”, he said.

On the proposed investment summit, Kansal said that the Administrative Council also reviewed its progress and accorded approval to four sectors specific policies that would help facilitate investment.

“Considering a large amount of investment being targeted and consequently the work noted to be done in facilitating these investments. the Council also accorded approval to the creation of a post of Industries Commissioner in the Industries Department in the pay matrix 14,” he said.