Shillong, October 25: The Jammu and Kashmir government has taken a significant step to address a backlog of 2,000 appointment cases under SRO 43, which pertains to compassionate government service appointments for the kin of militancy victims, border shelling/firing victims, and deceased government employees.
As per IANS, this decision will provide relief to these 2,000 individuals, ensuring their appointments under SRO 43 are processed.
The government’s new policy for compassionate appointments, effective since January 1, 2023, follows the central government’s model. Under this policy, appointments will be based on merit criteria, and only those who meet the specified criteria will receive government jobs. Others will receive fixed compensation.
The 2,000 identified vacancies, primarily in Class-IV positions across various departments, will be filled as a result of this decision. This move not only generates employment opportunities but also offers much-needed relief to individuals affected by militancy, border shelling/firing, and the families of deceased government employees who have been awaiting compassionate appointments for an extended period.
The new scheme, which took effect on January 1, 2023, ensures that appointments or compensation on compassionate grounds are granted to dependent family members of government servants who meet specific eligibility criteria. This includes those who may have lost their lives in the line of duty or due to militancy-related or enemy actions along the Line of Control/International Border within Jammu and Kashmir, provided they were not involved in militancy-related activities or retired on an invalid pension, leaving their families in financial distress.
Under the new scheme, vacancies and the merit list of eligible candidates will be updated annually, and appointments will be based on a point-based merit system on a quarterly basis. Transparency and accountability will be maintained by publishing both the list of vacancies and the merit list of candidates in the public domain.
Appointments on compassionate grounds will be made for multi-tasking staff or equivalent positions, as well as the lowest non-gazetted cadre posts within the department.