Asks govt’s review committee to submit report within ten days
SRINAGAR, AUG 31: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh on Thursday directed JKSSB not to proceed with the selection process of various posts advertised by it till the government takes a decision in light of a high-level committee’s report.
The High-Level Committee constituted to review the functioning of the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB), was also directed by a single bench of Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi to submit its report within a period of ten days.
The Review Committee, constituted on April 22, was directed to examine whether the process of tendering followed by JKSSB, in which the examination conducting company, namely, M/S Aptech Ltd. which was selected to conduct the examinations was consistent with the extant Financial Rules/Acts, and, if all the relevant norms were fully complied with. The Review Committee had been directed to submit its report within fifteen days.
“The Review Committee constituted in terms of Government Order No. 487-JK (GAD) of 2023 dated 22.04.2023, shall submit its report within a period of ten days from the date of passing of this judgment,” the court said.
The Chief Secretary, the court said, shall take a decision on the basis of the report and recommendations made by the Review Committee within a period of ten days thereafter.
“The decision of the Chief Secretary shall be communicated to the Secretary, JKSSB, who is directed to proceed strictly in accordance with the decision taken by the Government,” the court said, adding, “However, till the final decision is taken by the Government, the JKSSB shall not proceed with the selection process.”
In their petition, the petitioners being aspirants and 40 in number, had sought the court’s intervention for a fair process of recruitment. They not only sought fairness from the recruiting agency but also from the agency conducting the examination.
The court observed that petitioners raised the Orwellian concern about the alleged possibility of modern technology being misused and abused by M/s Aptech Limited and others. Regarding Aptech Limited, the petitioners had contended that it has “tainted past record and has also been blacklisted once.” The petitioners had responded to the advertisement for various examinations to be conducted by the JKSSB.
