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Despite a government-empowered committee clearing the regularisation of 172 community information centre (CIC) operators in 2017, the operators continue to work on a contractual basis 16 years on.
The revocation of special status under Article 370 of J&K by the Centre in 2019 and the reorganisation of the state into two union territories has further impeded the regularisation of these operators as the J&K Civil Services (Special Provisions) Act 2010, under which they were to be regularised, stands repealed under home ministry’s order in 2020.
The operators, working in the UT’s rural development department (RDD) and handling all the online work like e-gram-swaraj, swachh bharat mission (SBM), pradhan mantri awas yojana (PMAY-G), peoples plan campaign (sabki yojna sabkavikaas), gram panchayat development plans (GPDP), mission antyodaya , public financial management system (PFMS) and other e-governance related activities, have been drawing a monthly remuneration of mere ₹10,000.
They say that they have also been performing all other office assignments related to elections, establishment, accounts, and works at block, district and directorate level.
Operators, with degrees like MCA, M Tech, MSc, IT, BE and BTech, say that most of them have become over-aged for government jobs and have been running from pillar to post for their regularisation.
The CIC operators were recruited on contractual basis in 2004 on merit basis through open competition conducted through district-level appointment committees constituted by the government in every district.
In 2016, Jammu and Kashmir government through its cabinet decision created posts of data-entry operators for regularisation of their services and a year later in 2017 the empowered committee of J&K government headed by principal secretary, finance department, J&K, cleared their cases for regularisation under the J&K Civil Services Special Provision Act, 2010.
The operators said that the department of law, justice and parliamentary affairs has given their opinion in favour of them as has the advocate general of J&K.
“All the codal formalities for our regularisation have been completed by the J&K government but unfortunately the regularisation orders are not issued,” said Siddiqui.
He said that after much delay and back and forth on formalities, the rural development department was advised by the general administration department (GAD) in June, 2021 to put the cases of the CIC operators before the establishment and selection committee of Jammu & Kashmir again.
“The process will take years altogether and almost all the incumbents have crossed the age of 45 years and above,” he said.
Mir Mushtaq, a CIC operator from south Kashmir who has masters in computer application, said that the fresh directions by the government meant that things have to start afresh. “The start of the process of regularisation once again nullifies all the work of past years. This is sheer injustice, nothing else,” Mushtaq said.
“We are all suffering ,as are our families. I have three school going children. I am not able to pay their fees,” he said.
This month, the government has asked the directors of the rural development department (RDD) in both the divisions to furnish the details of the cases under focus.
“A case with regard to regularisation under above said repealed act ( J&K Civil Services Special Provisions Act) was referred to law department for opinion which advised that for considering any accrued right under repealed legislation shall be decided by the competent authority for which the matter shall be placed before the establishment cum selection committee,” said Javaid Ahmad Reshi, deputy secretary in rural development department quoting a communication from general administration department.
“Accordingly all the administrative departments have been requested to furnish details of pending regularization cases under the repealed act,” it asked the directors of Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
Repeated calls to secretary department of rural development Rifat Arif and director of Kashmir division Tariq Ahmad Zargar elicited no response. Additional secretary GAD, Shabir Hussain’s mobile was switched off.
“We sympathise with them. They have been working with this department for a long. But what can be done in the changed circumstances. The list has already been provided to the GAD,” an official at the directorate of rural department said, on condition of anonymity.
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