Shillong , Jan 6: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has been asked to cancel the appointment of 82 employees due to non-adherence to recruitment policy.
“Non-adherence to the recruitment policy create opportunities for favouritism in the hiring process. In order to maintain fair competition for selection of deserving candidates, the Council may follow recruitment rules. These appointments, being in violation of the Council’s own Rules, need to be anulled/cancelled,” the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said in its report for the year ended March 31, 2019.
The KHADC Service Rules, 1961 regulate appointment and promotions of KHADC staff.
Rule 3 clearly stipulates that ‘the recruitment to all classes of services and staff shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of an oral examination and interview’.
Scrutiny of records revealed that KHADC recruited 82 staff members (permanent) to various posts.
It was however, notices that these 82 vacancies were never advertised. The appointments were made only on the basis of Executive Committee’s approval without holding any competitive examination/interview etc, the report said.
KHADC had incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.06 crore during 2017-19 on the pay and allowances of these appointees.
However, reasons for recruiting the staff without holding any competitive examination/interview and number of the sanctioned posts against each cadre were neither on record nor furnished to audit though called for, it said.
The Secretary to the Executive Council, KHADC in August 2022 had stated that as per provision contained in Sub-Rule IV of Rule 2 of chapter-I of the KHADC Service Rules, 1961, “Appointing Authority” means the Executive Committee or any authority empowered by it to make appointment to such service, grade or post as the case may be.
Further, Sub-Rule XI of Rule 2 of Chapter-I of the said Rules states that “Committee” means the Executive Committee of the District Council of the United Khasi Jaintia Hills.
Rule 12 of Chapter III of the said Rules stipulates that “all appointments to the Council services, classes III & IV shall be made by the authorities specified in that behalf by a general order of the Committee”.
Based on the above Rules, the 82 appointments to various posts like Sub Inspector Tax, JAA etc, have been approved by the Executive Committee, KHADC against the existing vacancies.
Further, reply of KHADC submitted in October 2023 indicated that out of 66 appointed staff during 2018-19 only eight staff were appointed on compassionate ground whereas seven staff were appointed against premature retirement of parent and other staff were appointed without conducting any competitive exams.
The CAG however said that the reply of the Council is not acceptable because Rule 3 of Chapter III of General Rules regulating appointment and promotion stipulates that the recruitment to all classes of services and staff (except compassionate ground/invalid pension cases) shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of oral examination and interview.
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