Opposition demands recruitment of Naib tehsildars, stages walkout

Jammu, Jan 18 (UNI) Demanding the recruitment of naib tehsildars and patwaris in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the Opposition today staged a walkout during the ongoing Legislative Assembly session.

The opposition members said the government had become non-efficient and defunct in various districts due to the shortage of naib tehsildars and patwaris but nothing had been done for the past six years when the advertisement for the posts was notified.

''Rationalisation of new districts has been done by the government but there is no recruitment at the lower level, senior leader of the opposition Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) Harsh Dev Singh said.

He alleged that out of 136 vacant posts of naib tehsildars, only 92 were referred to the Service Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB) and ''the rest would be engaged through backdoor appointments''.

Replying on behalf of the government, Health Minister Mangat Ram Sharma claimed that the state did not have experienced and technical aspirants for the post of naib tehsildars. '' We have invited applications from retired naib tehsildars and patwaris and their services will prevail unless fresh recruitments are made, Mr Sharma said.

The opposition disturbed the proceedings of the House over the minister's reply and criticised the government for being non-serious. Members of the opposition came into the well and shouted anti-government slogans over backdoor appointments and inviting of retired persons for the vacant posts instead of fresh recruitments.

The members also staged a walkout demanding justice to the deserving candidates and asked the government for fresh applications for the post of naib tehsildars.

Meanwhile, MLA from Jammu State Morcha (JSM) Ashwani Sharma said, ''around four lakh refugees are living in the state but still they are deprived of their rights. He alleged that refugees were not rehabilitated under the re-settlement act.

On a reply from the government that a report pertaining to the demands of the refugees had been submitted by the Committee and was under examination, Mr Sharma termed the government ''non-serious'' and staged a walkout.

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