SRINAGAR: Officers belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS), Batch 2013, have formally petitioned the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, seeking urgent policy intervention to address significant career stagnation and delays in promotions.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the officers have served over 13 years in the Junior Scale, despite being eligible for promotion to the Time Scale after completing four years of qualifying service. The representation attributes this prolonged stagnation to several factors, including the non-utilisation of leave reserve posts, vacant positions within departmental feeding services, and a reduction in the promotional quota for direct recruits to 50 percent at the Time Scale level under SRO-256 of 2016.
The officers argue that the current quota structure has created an imbalance between direct recruits and departmental candidates. This imbalance has reportedly led to the supersession of senior direct recruits by junior officers from feeding services, a situation they contend undermines the principles of seniority and merit-based selection through the Public Service Commission.
Structural concerns have also been highlighted in the representation. It notes that approximately 728 Junior Scale officers have been inducted into the service since 2011, but the number of Time Scale posts has not increased commensurately. Consequently, over 575 direct recruit officers are awaiting promotion, while a considerably smaller number of officers from feeding services have advanced more rapidly in their careers.
The JKAS officers pointed to disparities when compared with administrative services in other Indian states. They stated that services in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Haryana, and Arunachal Pradesh offer higher promotional quotas for direct recruits, thereby facilitating more timely career advancement for these officers.
Further administrative anomalies were brought to light, with the representation noting that several departmental officers who are junior to JKAS officers from the 2012-2015 batches have already been promoted. This has raised concerns regarding fairness and has impacted the morale of the affected officers. The officers also cited inter-service disparities, observing that officers from allied services appointed after 2012 have already received one or more promotions.
Citing existing policy guidelines, the officers emphasised the necessity of periodic reviews of service rules to prevent stagnation and protect the seniority of officers. They called for an alignment of JKAS rules with national practices and guidelines issued by central authorities.
The representation indicates that around 305 posts at the Time Scale level are currently vacant across various categories, including duty posts, feeding service posts, technical quota, and reserve categories. The officers urged the administration to utilise these vacancies immediately to clear the backlog of promotions.
Among their key demands, the officers are seeking a revision of the promotional quota to favour direct recruits, the abolition of the technical quota which they claim is largely unutilised, and amendments to existing service rules to ensure equitable career progression. They have also called for the immediate filling of available vacancies, including those designated for leave and training reserves, to facilitate long-pending promotions.
Describing the JKAS as the premier administrative service of the Union Territory, the officers underscored that timely promotions are crucial for maintaining morale, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring administrative effectiveness. They appealed to the Lieutenant Governor for prompt and decisive action to uphold principles of fairness and good governance.
The Chenab Times News Desk