Bank aspirants on streets, parties slam, BJP seeks perks from Lt Guv

JAMMU: The government’s decision to scrap the ongoing recruitment process of 1,450 posts in Jammu and Kashmir Bank has sparked protests across the Union Territory, with aspirants who had appeared for the examination coming out on streets, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) knocked the door of Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu to demand perks for youth, who qualified or appeared in the exam, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleged that the decision was aimed to fiddle the autonomy of premier financial institution of J&K.
Citing legal infirmities in the recruitment process, which was initiated in November 2018, the administration on Thursday scrapped the process of filling the posts of 250 probationary officers and 1,200 banking associates in J&K Bank and ordered fresh recruitment process.
Following the government’s decisions, aspirants who appeared in the examination for the vacant posts in J&K bank, staged protests across regions demanding roll back of the decision.
“The administration has forced J&K bank to scrap the recruitment process. We were assured by the bank officials this week that the results will be declared in three days,” a protester said.
“Our future is on the stake, we left our jobs and prepared to crack the exams of the bank,” another agitating youth in Valley said.
He alleged that the decision is totally against the agitation and blames UT’s administration for pushing future of youth in dark.
The decision also drew the attention of political parties across the UT.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore meet with Lt Governor G C Murmu and discussed measures to pacify anger among youth.
If sources to be believed the BJP leaders demanded that in the fresh recruitment, priority be given to the aspirants, who participated in the abolished process.
“They also demanded these aspirants would to allowed to apply free of cost,” sources said.
“We have raised the concerns of youth with LG and apprised him about the embezzlements in the cut off lists of the results in which discrimination with Jammu region was clearly visible,” BJP leader Shamsher Singh Manhas, who was part of the delegation, told The News Now.
“The results cannot be declared district wise. The Supreme Court has issued clear directions in this regard,” Abhinav Sharma, president Bar Association Jammu, who was also part of delegation, told The News Now.
Expressing concern over scrapping of the recruitment process, the PDP termed the decision as the "uninvited, scandalous bureaucratic infiltration into an otherwise J&K''s premier independent and autonomous financial institution" by the administration.
"The party expresses serious concern over the government's recent action in which it nullified 1,200 posts of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. Such an action is unwarranted and akin to plunge the youth, who qualified the exams, into distress and devastation," a PDP spokesman said.
A meeting of the leaders was held at the party head office in Jammu in which the participants questioned the government''s action even when its probe was on and no findings have so far proved any partiality or favouritism in the recruitment process, the spokesman said.
The party alleged that the administration wants to" infiltrate into its (banks) ranks in order to grab its control, complicate its functioning and ruin it to the core with ruthless bureaucratisation".
The government''s own claim about the youth empowerment is falling flat through the measures, it said.
The party demanded immediate rollback of the decision and warned the administration not to fiddle with the autonomy of the bank.
Former Finance minister Altaf Bukhari censured the 'sinister designs' for playing with the careers of lakhs of educated unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking cognizance of the scrapping of the recruitment process, Bukhari said that the exercise had started and concluded under Governor's rule and not under any political government in the erstwhile State.
"Two years after this three phase examination was conducted that too in Governor S.P Malik's tenure, which drove lakhs of qualified aspirants from all the regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the present dispensation has shamelessly declared that process as null and void. It is simply disgusting that it took J&K administration two years to reveal what it has now termed as 'legal infirmities' found in that recruitment process," Bukhari remarked.
He said that the latest government action is without any reason or rationale. "The latest move of the LG led administration has corroborated the prevailing perceptions among people of both divisions of Jammu and Kashmir that the careers and talent of our youth is being crushed under a well thought out and a planned manner," he added.
The former finance minister demanded that the fresh recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir Bank be based on rationalization and district wise requirements of its business units. "Just allowing applicants who had appeared in cancelled recruitment process for the fresh recruitment is not enough. The government must give some weightage to these candidates and conclude the new recruitment process without any further delay," he advocated.
"The nullification of recruitment process should not be viewed in isolation. Attempts are being made for the last over two years to malign the integrity of this institution by continuous raids and searches being conducted by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). The J&K Bank's corporate office has virtually turned into ACB office with the Bank's executives being found assisting the investigating agency round the clock," Bukhari added.
He appealed for the personal intervention of Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who had assured bankers across the country that prudent commercial decision making would be protected and there will not be any harassment from the investigating agencies.

Updated On 2/29/2020 11:00:53 AM