Srinagar, Oct 27 (KNO): Employees of five new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Jammu and Kashmir have announced that they will resume their protest from November 16 if their long-pending demand for the finalisation of Service Recruitment Rules (SRRs) for non-gazetted employees is not addressed.
The Coordination Committee representing non-gazetted employees of GMCs Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Baramulla and Anantnag in a press conference in Jammu, said the protest, which had been deferred earlier following assurances from the authorities, would be resumed in view of the failure to finalise the rules despite nearly seven years of waiting.
The committee, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), expressed serious concern over the prolonged delay, stating that employees had been awaiting a clearly defined service structure, regular Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) proceedings and fair opportunities for career advancement since 2019.
It said successive assurances by the authorities had failed to translate into a concrete decision, leaving the professional future of hundreds of employees uncertain.
The committee said employees had repeatedly been assured that the rules would be finalised by September 30, 2026. The deadline, it said, was communicated through different official channels, including the Information and Public Relations Department, the former Commissioner Secretary of the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, the Health Minister and the Chief Minister, who had reportedly indicated that the matter was at the final stage.
However, the deadline passed without the rules being notified, prompting renewed resentment among employees.
The committee questioned why the rules had remained pending despite changes in the department's administrative leadership over the years, adding that repeated changes in the senior officers' positions could not justify the prolonged delay.
It said six IAS officers had reportedly held charge as Secretary or the corresponding senior administrative head of the H&ME Department since 2019, but the issue continued to remain unresolved.
Promotional avenues affected
The employees also highlighted what they described as a disparity in career progression between gazetted and non-gazetted staff.
According to the committee, gazetted employees have received three rounds of promotions or promotional advancements since 2019, while non-gazetted employees of the five new medical colleges continue to face stagnation in the absence of finalised service rules and a clearly defined promotional framework.
It said the uncertainty could affect employees' seniority, eligibility for higher posts and financial benefits associated with career progression.
The committee urged the government to examine whether the prolonged delay had resulted in any avoidable losses to employees and to consider appropriate corrective measures in accordance with the applicable rules.
Recruitment process also a concern
The committee further expressed concern over the possible impact of the delay on permanent recruitment in the medical colleges.
"According to information available to employees, the first recruitment advertisement by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for non-gazetted posts in the five new GMCs was issued in 2019, with no subsequent recruitment advertisement for these posts since then," it said.
The committee also flagged reported difficulties in advertising permanent non-gazetted posts at GMC Handwara and GMC Udhampur in the absence of the requisite service rules.
The government, it said, must clarify the status of the rules, identify the issues holding up their finalisation and announce a definite timeline for resolving the matter.
The delay was not merely an administrative issue but one that affected the career prospects of serving employees as well as recruitment opportunities for job aspirants, the committee said.
Accountability for delay
The Coordination Committee called for a comprehensive review of the process since 2019 to establish where the delay occurred and whether any negligence or unjustified inaction had contributed to the prolonged pendency.
"Accountability should be examined at all relevant levels, including officials involved in drafting and processing the rules, authorities responsible for administrative and legal vetting, successive senior officers of the H&ME Department and the leadership responsible for overseeing the process," it said.
The committee urged the government to move beyond assurances and take concrete steps to notify the rules, initiate due DPC proceedings and examine the admissibility of consequential benefits for affected employees.
The government must also explain why the September 30 deadline was missed and provide clarity on the status of the rules for all affected medical colleges, it added.
The committee emphasised that the issue concerns not only the dignity and professional future of serving employees but also the recruitment needs and effective functioning of public healthcare institutions.
It said the decision to resume the protest from November 16 had been taken after repeated assurances failed to produce the desired outcome.
The committee reiterated that employees and job aspirants in Jammu and Kashmir deserved a clear decision, a firm timeline and fair opportunities for career progression rather than continued uncertainty.
The Coordination Committee of the five new medical colleges appealed to the government to intervene urgently and resolve the matter before the proposed protest resumes—(KNO)