In a significant move, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to address the backlog of approximately 2,000 appointment cases pending under SRO 43, specifically concerning the relatives of militancy victims in the union territory.
This decision is poised to provide substantial relief to the 2,000 young individuals awaiting appointments under SRO 43, government officials have confirmed.
SRO 43 pertains to compassionate appointments in government service for the dependents of militancy victims, individuals affected by border shelling/firing, and the families of government employees who lost their lives while in service.
“The government has chosen to clear the backlog of nearly 2,000 SRO 43 appointments that have been pending until now before the implementation of the new policy for such appointments,” officials stated.
The government introduced a new compassionate appointment policy on January 1, 2023, modeled after the central government’s approach. Under the previous SRO 43, eligible individuals included the kin of those who lost their lives due to militancy, border firing incidents, or government employees who passed away during their service. The new policy, which came into effect at the start of the year, relies on merit-based criteria for these positions. Only those meeting the specified criteria will secure government employment, while others will receive fixed compensation amounts.
2,000 vacancies, primarily in Class-IV roles across different departments, have been identified under SRO 43, with appointments now set to proceed.
“This decision will create 2,000 jobs and will provide significant relief to those affected by militancy, border incidents, and the dependents of deceased government employees who have long awaited compassionate appointments,” officials said.
The new scheme, already in operation, offers appointments or monetary compensation on compassionate grounds to eligible family members of government employees who pass away in the line of duty, due to militancy-related actions, or as a result of enemy actions along the Line of Control/International Border within Jammu and Kashmir. Importantly, the deceased government employee should not have been involved in militancy-related activities or have retired on an invalid pension, leaving their family in financial distress without a means of livelihood.
Under the new scheme, effective from January 1, 2023, the number of vacancies and a merit list of eligible candidates will be annually prepared. Eligible candidates will be considered based on a point-based merit system on a quarterly basis. Both the lists of vacancies and eligible candidates will be made public, ensuring a transparent and accountable process.
Compassionate appointments will be made for multi-tasking staff or equivalent roles, or the lowest non-gazetted cadre positions within the department.
