J&K government approved scrapping of New Recruitment Policy, 2011

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government on 21 May 2014 scrapped the New Recruitment Policy, 2011. Under the new policy for non-gazetted posts, the appointees were paid a stipend instead of salary for the first five years. 

The decision to scrap the policy was taken as a part of course correction by the J & K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after his party National Conference’s debacle in the Lok Sabha election 2014 in J&K.

Besides, the policy came in for huge criticism from the educated youth section. It was criticized that with the implementation of the policy in 2011, the daily wage labourers were earning more than what a new appointee in the government services were entitled for.

Earlier in November 2013, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir had stayed the Policy on a Public Interest Litigation filed before the Kashmir Wing of the High Court. However, it cleared the implementation of the Policy in December 2013

About the New Recruitment Policy, 2011
The New Recruitment Policy, 2011 was approved by the State Cabinet in 2011. According to this,
• The new appointees for Class-III and Class-IV posts were paid fixed monthly salary equivalent to 50 percent of the basic pay (Pay Band+Grade Pay) for first two years.
• For the next three years or during the remaining period out of the total five years the employee was entitled to receive fixed salary of about 75 percent of the basic pay.
• The period during which such employee receives fixed monthly salary, shall count for the purpose of all service benefits including seniority and pension contribution (under the New Pension Scheme).
• For five years they would not get any Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and City Compensatory Allowance, etc.