Shillong, March 27: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has appointed eight staff to various posts during the year 2019-20 without any advertisement and holding of examination or interview thereby creating opportunities for favouritism in the hiring process.
This was revealed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report for the year ended March 31, 2020 tabled on Wednesday.
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Service Rules, 1961 regulates the appointment and promotions of KHADC staff.
Rules 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 the KHADC recruited eight staff members to various posts during the year 2019-20.
They include: Barijied Khyllep as Lower Division Assistant (LDA) on April 18, 2019, Collin Bakhraw L Mawphlang – peon on May 1, 2019, Andrew Khongwir – Plantation chowkidar (PC) on May 9, 2019, Trairistar D War and Donborlang Dkhar as Assistant Foresters (AF) on May 13, 2019 and Jayden Kharnonglong, Ardonald RK Nongrang and Bankerlang Suting as Sectional Assistants (SA) on August 6, 2019, November 4, 2019 and February 3, 2020 respectively.
It was, however, noticed that these eight vacancies were never advertised. The appointments were made only on the basis of Executive Committee’s approval without holding any competitive examination/interview, etc.
This has resulted in denial of opportunity to the right and genuine candidates.
“The Council stated (on August 2023) that the appointment was based on vacancy and approved by the Chief Executive Committee of the Council. The reply of the Council is not acceptable as 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,” the report said.
“Non-adherence to the recruitment policy creates opportunities for favouritism in the hiring process,” it added.
Meanwhile, the CAG has recommended that in order to maintain fair competition for selection of deserving candidate, the Council may follow recruitment rules.
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