Health Dept tops list as over 40,000 government posts remain vacant in J&K

A total of 40,661 posts are currently vacant across various government departments in Jammu and Kashmir, including 3,808 gazetted, 24,507 non-gazetted and 12,351 multi-tasking staff (MTS) positions, officials said on Tuesday.

The figures were shared during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to review the status of vacancies and the progress of recruitment being undertaken through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB).

According to an official spokesperson, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for expeditious filling of critical vacancies to strengthen governance and improve public service delivery. He asked administrative secretaries to hold regular follow-up meetings with their departments and recruitment agencies to resolve pending issues and speed up the recruitment process.

Dulloo also advised recruiting agencies to prepare and publish examination calendars simultaneously so that aspirants have clarity about examination schedules and adequate time for preparation.

During the meeting, Commissioner Secretary of the General Administration Department, M. Raju, presented a detailed overview of vacant posts across government departments.

The data showed that the Health and Medical Education Department accounts for a significant share of the vacancies, including 2,497 gazetted, 8,088 non-gazetted and 2,712 MTS posts. Other departments with substantial vacancies include Agriculture Production, Power Development, Finance, Revenue, Forest, Public Works (R&B) and Youth Services and Sports.

While reviewing recruitment being conducted by the JKSSB for non-gazetted and MTS posts, JKSSB Chairperson Vikas Kundal said that since 2019 the board has received requisitions for 46,744 posts. Of these, 9,260 were withdrawn, leaving 37,484 posts for recruitment.

He said the board has completed selections for 32,956 posts so far, including 27,449 selections during this period.

At present, 10,035 posts remain at different stages of recruitment with the JKSSB. These include 2,532 posts yet to be advertised, 4,768 at the examination stage, 1,258 at the selection stage and 1,477 posts under live advertisements awaiting completion of the recruitment process.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the JKPSC Bashir Ahmad Dar informed the meeting that 1,745 gazetted posts are currently under process with the commission. Of these, the selection schedule has been drawn for 1,573 posts, while 172 posts are yet to be scheduled due to certain procedural issues.