SHILLONG, Jan 5: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report for the year ending March 31, 2019 has detected irregular appointments and anomalies in the promotion of staff in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).
The report, tabled during the winter session of the Council held in December last year, pointed out that Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Service Rules, 1961 regulate appointment and promotions of KHADC staff.
Rule 3 clearly stipulates that “the recruitment to all classes of services and staff shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of an oral examination and interview”.
However, the CAG stated the scrutiny of the records revealed that the KHADC had recruited altogether 82 staff members (permanent) to various posts during 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
The position of staff recruited during 2017-2018 include chainman (2) and peon (3) at the pay scale of Rs 17,400-41,000, enforcement constable (2) at the pay scale of Rs 19,000-44,800, lower division assistant (7) at the pay scale of Rs 26,000-62,400, junior assistant account (1) at the pay scale of Rs 28,400-67,100 and sub inspector tax (1) at the pay scale of Rs 30,300-71,600.
The position of staff recruited during 2018-2019 includes cleaner (6), chainman (2), process server (2), plantation chowkidars (7), chowkidars (5) and peon (10) at the pay scale of Rs 17,400-41,000.
During the same year, the position of staff recruited include forest guard (8), enforcement constable (9) and fisherman-cum-feeder (1) at the pay scale of Rs 19,000-44,800, assistant forester (2) and sectional assistant (4) at the pay scale of Rs 20,600-48,000 and forester (1) and record keeper (1) at the pay scale of Rs 22,000-54,400.
Further in the same year, the council had recruited 4 computer operators at the pay scale of Rs 24,700-58,400, one assistant to Nazir, one deputy ranger and one lower division assistant in the pay scale of Rs 37,800-86,400.
The CAG stated that it was, however, noticed that these 82 vacancies were never advertised, adding that the appointments were made only on the basis of the Executive Committee’s approval without holding any competitive examination/interview, etc.
It further observed that the KHADC had incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.06 crore between 2017 and 2019 on the pay and allowances of these appointees.
“However, reasons for recruiting the staff without holding any competitive examination/interview and number of the sanctioned posts against each cadre were neither on record nor furnished to audit though called for,” the CAG report stated.
The KHADC Secretary to the Executive Committee stated in August 2022 that as per provision contained in Sub-Rule IV of Rule 2 of chapter-I of the Khasi Hill Autonomous District Council, Service Rules 1961, “Appointing Authority” means the Executive Committee or any authority empowered by it to make appointment to such service, grade or post as the case may be.
The KHADC Secretary to the Executive Committee further stated that Sub-Rule XI of Rule 2 of Chapter-I of the said Rules states that “Committee” means the Executive Committee of the District Council of the United Khasi Jaintia Hills. Rule 12 of Chapter-III of the said Rules stipulates that “All appointments to the Council Services, Classes III & IV shall be made by the authorities specified in that behalf by a general order of the Committee.”
The Secretary of the council further observed that based on the above Rules, the 82 appointments have been approved by the Executive Committee, KHADC against the existing vacancies. Further, reply (October 2023) of KHADC indicates that out of 66 appointed staff during 2018-19 only eight were appointed on compassionate ground whereas seven were appointed against premature retirement of parent and other staff were appointed without conducting any competitive exams.
The CAG, however, stated that the reply of the Council is not acceptable because Rule 3 of Chapter III of General Rules regulating appointment and promotion stipulates that recruitment to all classes of services and staff (except compassionate ground/invalid pension cases) shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of oral examination and interview.
“Non-adherence to the recruitment policy creates opportunities for favouritism in the hiring process. In order to maintain fair competition for selection of deserving candidates, the Council may follow recruitment rules. These appointments, being in violation of the Council’s own Rules, need to be annulled/cancelled,” the CAG stated.
Anomalies in appointment and promotion
The CAG stated that Rule 3 of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Service Rules, 1961 stipulates that “the recruitment to all classes of services and staff shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of an oral examination and interview”.
Rule 15 of the Service Rules stipulates “promotion to any service, grade or post shall be made ordinarily on the basis of merit-cum-seniority after careful examination of the character rolls, special reports called for on the suitability of the eligible officers for promotion and other records. In cases of promotion to selection posts, whether administrative or technical, merit may be taken as the sole creation”.
The CAG, however, observed that the Executive Committee in its meeting held on January 27, 2010 decided that “promotion shall not be merely based on the rationale of seniority but on merit, competence and sincerity through proper screening or testing the abilities of the candidates” and that a Departmental Promotion Committee consisting of Chief Executive Member, Deputy Chief Executive Member, Executive Member in-charge Finance, Executive Member in-charge Department concerned, Secretary to the Executive Committee and Officer in-charge Department concerned would be constituted to regulate promotions in the Council.
