The Jammu and Kashmir government has significantly strengthened its rural sector workforce with the appointment of 122 Junior Assistants in the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDD&PR) department. This move addresses a critical shortage of clerical staff that had affected field offices since 2021.
The appointments, finalized through the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) following a referral from the Rural Development Department, conclude a lengthy process aimed at resolving the persistent staffing gap.
The distribution of the 122 posts is as follows:
- UT Level: 1 post
- Divisional Cadre (Jammu): 2 posts
- Divisional Cadre (Kashmir): 2 posts
- District Cadre (Jammu Division): 55 posts
- District Cadre (Kashmir Division): 62 posts
This recruitment drive is intended to fill crucial clerical and executive vacancies within district-level RDD offices and Block Development Offices (BDOs) across the Union Territory.
Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Secretary of RDD&PR, highlighted the significance of this recruitment for the department and its potential to enhance public service delivery. He stated, “The recruitment of Junior Assistants is a long-overdue measure, aimed at reinforcing rural governance and ensuring timely service delivery to the public.”
Mr. Asad further emphasized the pivotal role the new Junior Assistants will play in accelerating file processing in rural offices, improving public grievance redressal, strengthening the implementation of welfare schemes, and providing essential support to the heavily burdened Block Development Offices (BDOs), thereby improving the overall efficiency of rural governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Out of the 122 posts, 120 have been cleared for immediate appointment, while 2 posts are currently withheld pending further recommendations. Selected candidates are required to submit their Personal Verification Roll (PVR) within 21 days to finalize their appointment.
This latest recruitment drive follows the appointment of 1,395 Panchayat Secretaries across various districts in the previous year and the appointment of 1,889 Panchayat Accounts Assistants prior to that, further demonstrating the government’s commitment to bolstering the workforce within the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department.
