The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission, JKPSC, is infamous for alleged “biased” and “shady” recruitments to various gazetted posts. Shockingly, there are more than 500 cases pending against them in the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Not only this, according to a news report by the Tribune, they have paid an amount of Rs 34.83 lakh as legal fees and expenses. The amount exceeds their allotted budget by a massive Rs 10.55 lakh over the last three years.
An answer to an RTI application revealed that the Commission is respondent in 508 cases in J&K High Court and the Supreme Court.
The answer also revealed that the Commission has paid Rs 34,83,200 as legal fees whereas its budget sanction for legal expenses was only Rs 24,25,000.
An even more shocking fact is that for the year 2016-17, the Commission paid double the amount as legal fee; ie. Rs 14,70,300 against an annual budget of Rs 7 lakh.
Pertinently, the JKPSC, which pledges to “exercise utmost impartiality, objectivity and efficiency in accomplishing its tasks”, has been facing serious credibility test after the recent reports of forgery of policy documents and awarding of marks for wrong answer in the KAS exam.
Read also: Dogra soldiers and Kashmiri Pandits oppressed Kashmiri Muslims: GK book
Consequently, the demands for separate PSC for Jammu and Ladakh, and audit of all appointments made by the commission during the past 10 years, have grown louder.
Statistically speaking
- 500 cases against the JKPSC in the J&K High Court
- 8 cases pending in the Supreme Court
- 15 cases filed as petitioner in the High Court
- 2 appeals pending in the apex court
- Rs 34,83,200 legal fees paid in three years
