Srinagar, Agency
The Opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday staged a protest in Srinagar against the alleged outsourcing of government jobs and what it termed a "new form of corruption" under the Omar Abdullah-led government.
Led by senior party leaders, the protesters accused the government of bypassing established recruitment mechanisms and promoting corruption in public hiring.
Addressing reporters, PDP senior leader Khursheed Alam alleged that outsourcing of jobs had become a tool for corruption.
He questioned why recruitments were not being carried out through advertisements published through newspapers and other public platforms.
"Jammu and Kashmir already has recruitment bodies like the Services Selection Board and other departments. Why are jobs being filled through a process that remains hidden from unemployed youth?" Alam asked.
He alleged that deserving candidates were being denied opportunities and vowed that the PDP would continue its protests until the practice was stopped.
Alam further alleged that the outsourcing of jobs was a new form of corruption under the ruling government.
"Jobs are being distributed for money. This is all about money," he alleged.
Another PDP leader, Mohammad Iqbal Trumboo, alleged that nearly 25,000 jobs had been filled through outsourcing without any transparent criteria. He claimed that corruption, favouritism and nepotism were influencing recruitment and demanded that the government issue a white paper detailing the basis on which the appointments were made.
"The deserving youth are being deprived of opportunities, while corruption is being encouraged," Trumboo said.
The protest comes amid growing criticism of the government's outsourcing policy. PDP chief spokesperson Mehboob Beg recently questioned the need to engage private recruitment agencies when institutions such as the J&K Services Selection Board and Public Service Commission already exist. Not only the PDP, but the BJP has also hit out at the NC government over the outsourcing of jobs.
Jammu and Kashmir Minister Sakina Itoo recently said that the outsourcing system was introduced by previous governments and not by the present administration.
000
