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| Backdoor appointment row heats up as NC, PDP trade fresh barbs | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 28: The political confrontation between the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged backdoor appointments intensified on Sunday, with the Omar Abdullah government mounting a strong defence of its recruitment policy and rejecting the opposition's allegations as "baseless and misleading."
Two days after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that his ministers would respond to the allegations levelled by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter, Iltija Mufti, two cabinet ministers and the Chief Minister's advisor addressed a joint press conference, asserting that all appointments made by the present government have been carried out strictly on merit through transparent procedures. They also maintained that outsourcing of services cannot be equated with government recruitment.
The issue has triggered a sharp political slugfest, with the PDP alleging large-scale backdoor appointments while the National Conference has accused the opposition of spreading misinformation and attempting to mislead unemployed youth.
Addressing the media, Chief Minister's Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani said the government's employment policy was being deliberately misrepresented and false narratives were being created regarding recruitment.
He asserted that every recruitment made by the present government has been conducted in a phased manner through transparent and merit-based procedures, adding that the administration has not made a single backdoor appointment since assuming office.
Challenging the opposition to substantiate its allegations, Wani said those accusing the government of backdoor appointments should remember that such practices belonged to their own tenure. He rejected the figures being circulated by the PDP regarding the alleged appointments and asked the party to place credible evidence in the public domain.
Wani also sought to draw a distinction between recruitment and outsourcing, describing them as two entirely separate administrative processes. He maintained that outsourcing cannot be portrayed as government employment and reiterated that no backdoor appointments had been made by the present dispensation.
Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo echoed the government's stand, saying that regular recruitment is conducted only through the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), while outsourcing is merely an administrative arrangement adopted under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
She alleged that the outsourcing policy had its origins during the PDP-led government between 2015 and 2018 and claimed that it was during that period that powers relating to the engagement of casual labourers and daily wagers were withdrawn.
Responding to the PDP's allegation of 25,000 backdoor appointments, Itoo dismissed the claim as unfounded and challenged the opposition to furnish documentary proof instead of making what she termed "baseless allegations."
She also criticised attempts to equate outsourcing with regular recruitment, saying such assertions were misleading and irresponsible. Referring to an official order issued on February 23, 2018, the minister said it reflected policy decisions taken by the previous government and had significantly altered the existing engagement mechanism.
Expressing concern over the impact of the controversy on unemployed youth, Itoo said young people were being misled through emotional slogans and false narratives. She maintained that the government's priority was to provide employment opportunities through transparent recruitment while protecting youth from social challenges, including drug abuse.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, the minister remarked that "the guilty make the loudest noise" and alleged that one of the PDP's MLAs had secured government jobs for four relatives, a matter she claimed is under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Dar also rejected the allegations and urged the public to understand the distinction between outsourcing and recruitment.
He said outsourcing is an administrative practice followed across several states and Union Territories based on sanctioned staff requirements. Dar alleged that the outsourcing policy being criticised today had actually been introduced during the PDP-led government around 2017 after receiving Cabinet approval, and maintained that the present administration was only continuing the existing policy framework inherited from its predecessor.
Meanwhile, escalating the political attack, PDP leader Iltija Mufti questioned the government's outsourcing policy and sought details of contracts awarded to private firms.
In a post on X, she asked why hundreds of crores of rupees were being spent on outsourcing jobs through private companies, who selected these firms and whether the entire recruitment process had been conducted transparently.
She also sought disclosure of the contracts and recruitment details, questioning the basis on which individuals were being engaged through outsourcing agencies.
To support her allegations, Mufti shared data listing outsourcing arrangements across several government departments, including Information Technology, Culture, School Education, Youth Services and Sports, Transport, Tribal Affairs, Labour and Employment, Finance, Social Welfare, Higher Education, Public Works Department, Housing and Urban Development, Forests, Rural Development, Health and Medical Education, Skill Development and other sectors.
According to the data shared by the PDP leader, payments under these outsourcing arrangements range from several lakhs of rupees per month to annual allocations running into hundreds of crores.
With both sides hardening their positions, the controversy over alleged backdoor appointments and outsourcing has emerged as the latest flashpoint in Jammu and Kashmir's political landscape, with the ruling National Conference and the PDP trading sharp accusations over transparency, governance and employment policy. |
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