Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Dec 31 : Hundreds of employees working in ITIs across Jammu and Kashmir under PPP-IMC scheme have demanded a comprehensive job policy for them as majority of them are without salaries for the last seven months
These employees told the news agency that in the year 2008, the State Government in collaboration to the Central government with the aim and object of upgrading the Government owned Industrial Training Institutes in the State into Centres of Excellence evolved and sanctioned a Scheme namely (PPP) to effectuate the purpose and the central Govt has granted interest free loan of Rs 2.50 cr to each ITI covered under the scheme for gearing up the Skill Development in the 32- GOVT ITIs of Jammu & Kashmir in order to reduce unemployment among the youth by training them in different trades with a view to enable them to become self-reliant.
They said that after introduction of new trades as well as upgrading existing trades in all the above mentioned 32-Govt ITIs, the government was in dearth of the human resource/man power who actually serve the main purpose of the upgradation of Govt ITIs.
“For this purpose, the government had gone through the proper selection process as per the guidelines of the scheme thereby it resulted into the engagement of meritorious candidates in the form of applicants as Vocational Instructors, Accounts Asstts, Computer operators, workshop Attendant and MTS staff on contract and academic arrangement basis and as per the MOU of the scheme, State Govt was bound to take over the scheme after the completion of 5- years and it was also envisaged therein that it would be the responsibility of the State Government to fill all the vacancies on regular basis which resulted into the implementation scheme,” they said.
However, the employees said unfortunately since 2008 till date, the issue is still un-resolved so far despite the fact that former worthy Director Skill Development Department J&K put up a proposal of creation of posts to the higher authorities in the year 2021 vide No: DSD/101/ Creation post/2021/509 Dated:05-03-2021but till date nothing has been done yet.
They said that the creation cum absorption of the posts against the said scheme upgradation of 1396 of the country PPP got finalised in other states like Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh. Punjab etc but due to the unknown reasons, J&K is still lagging behind in this process,
The employees said that “the appointment against the posts/positions currently held by us in the respective Government owned Industrial Training Institutes has indubitably all the trappings and attributes of a regular substantive appointment and we are fully entitled in law to all the service benefits including the Salary, Allowances, Promotional Prospects as well as the Tenure of Service being enjoyed by other regular Appointees.”
They further added that Machinery, Equipment, Buildings of the said scheme(PPP-IMC) have been taken over by the state but human resource which has made the upgradation successful is still awaited for absorption/regularisation of the posts.
The employees further added that despite the fact that the posts/positions against which have been appointed, for the efficient Implementation/execution of the aforementioned Scheme as well as to effectuate the aim and objective of upgrading Government owned Industrial Training Institutes into the Centres of excellence besides employability, are permanent and substantive and the need for services of the persons eligible and qualified for the said posts is regular and perennial, still the concerned Industrial Training Institutes are persisting with executive arbitrariness of treating our Employment Contractual/Casual/Temporary, thereby overlooking and glossing-over completely the permanent and substantive nature of the Posts currently held by us in the respective Industrial Training Institutes.
They demanded that the posts held by them need to be regularized to meet the spirit of justice.
They have written to the Deputy Chief Minister who is also holding the charge of skill development to look into the matter at an earliest and take immediate steps in this regard.
They have demanded creation cum absorption of their services to the Posts/Positions currently held by them shall be passed with a clear direction to the authorities concerned to evaluate the comparative merit, the weight age deserved in law for the Services rendered by them and on such consideration/evaluation be offered appointments on Regular and Substantive basis against the Posts/Positions currently held by them besides allowing all the consequential service benefits under law.
