SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone on Sunday stepped up his attack on the National Conference-led government over its outsourcing policy, alleging a lack of transparency and claiming that his party would place “every fact” related to outsourcing in the public domain within a week.
In a statement, Lone said the ruling National Conference could not distance itself from the outsourcing policy merely because it had inherited it.
“Agreed NC didn’t start it. We knew that from Day 1. But you didn’t stop it either. You went along with it. And in fact encouraged it,” he said.
Lone alleged that the outsourcing system was susceptible to “corrupt collusion” and claimed he could “see that corrupt collusion very clearly”, without providing further details.
He said his party would soon make public information related to the government’s outsourcing practices.
The Peoples Conference leader also said he had raised a starred question before the General Administration Department during the previous Assembly session, seeking details on outsourced jobs, the companies engaged by the government, payments made to these firms, salary guidelines for outsourced employees and a department-wise break-up of outsourced posts.
According to Lone, while the government responded to parts of the question, it did not answer two specific queries relating to the objectives of outsourcing and whether it intended to encourage or discourage the practice as a matter of policy.
He said the unanswered questions sought clarification on whether outsourcing was aimed at reducing costs or improving efficiency and whether the government intended to continue promoting outsourced recruitment.
“That remains unanswered and the devil is in the details,” Lone said, alleging that the government’s silence on these issues had raised serious questions about its outsourcing policy.
The National Conference-led government had earlier maintained that all regular government posts are filled through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), while outsourcing is used only to meet manpower requirements under specific schemes and for services beyond the sanctioned strength.
