Srinagar, June 29: In a move to address non-adherence to administrative guidelines, the Health & Medical Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir has issued a stern directive to all Head of Departments, District Heads, and Chief Medical Officers. The order comes in response to observed inconsistencies in following the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment Rules-2010, which were initially notified on October 21, 2010, through SRO-375.
Despite the clear articulation of these rules over a decade ago, the department has noted a concerning trend of non-compliance among various officials. This laxity in rule adherence has prompted the health department to take decisive action, reinforcing the importance of these regulations in maintaining a fair and transparent administrative system.
The directive issued by the Secretary, Health and Medical Education specifically mentions Rules 19, 21, and 22 of the 2010 Rules, which have been particularly neglected.
“Rule 19, which governs promotions from District Cadre to Divisional Cadre, has been inconsistently applied, leading to potential inequities in promotional opportunities across districts. Similarly, Rule 21, which outlines the constitution of Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) for district cadre posts, has not been strictly followed, compromising the integrity of the promotion process. Perhaps most critically, Rule 22, which mandates the maintenance of separate seniority lists for District, Divisional, and State Cadre posts, has been widely overlooked. This oversight has created confusion and potential unfairness in the promotion and transfer processes,” sources said.
In response to these lapses, the Health & Medical Education Department has now impressed upon all relevant authorities to adhere to these rules “in letter and spirit.”
The new directive emphasizes three key areas of compliance: First, District Heads and Chief Medical Officers are now required to maintain accurate and up-to-date seniority lists for all district cadre posts in their respective districts. This measure aims to eliminate any ambiguity in the seniority of employees, ensuring fair consideration for promotions and transfers.
Secondly, the directive mandates that District Heads and Chief Medical Officers, as committee chairpersons, must personally conduct Departmental Promotion Committees for district cadre posts at their level. This hands-on approach is intended to ensure that the promotion process is carried out with due diligence and in strict accordance with the established rules.
Lastly, when promoting District Cadre posts to Divisional Cadre posts, the competent authorities are instructed to allocate posts to each district based on the proportion of cadre strength. This measure ensures fair representation across the division and prevents any district from being unduly favoured or neglected in the promotion process.