Jammu, March 30, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said many government employees prefer postings close to their home districts, creating administrative and service delivery challenges across the Union Territory.
The remarks come amid ongoing discussions on recruitment policies and workforce distribution, with the government seeking to balance efficiency with local sensitivities.
Speaking on the issue, Abdullah said employees are often reluctant to serve in districts other than their own, which affects staffing in key sectors.
“A doctor from Ganderbal is reluctant to do duty in Bandipora, which becomes a problem,” he said, highlighting the practical difficulties faced by the administration.
He said such reluctance leads to uneven distribution of manpower and places additional strain on departments, particularly in essential services.
“We face a lot of challenges due to this problem,” the Chief Minister said.
Abdullah also cautioned against confining recruitment strictly to the local level, saying such an approach could create structural complications in the long run.
“It is not good to confine recruitment to the local level as it will give rise to additional cadres,” he said.
He added that managing multiple localised cadres would be administratively difficult and could limit flexibility in deploying staff where they are most needed.
“For every post, we won’t be able to get suitable people. Then we have to go for relaxation,” Abdullah said, referring to the need for broader recruitment pools to ensure quality and availability of candidates.
Inter-district postings and recruitment policies have been a subject of debate in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the context of regional representation and service delivery. [KNT]
