In a blow to government job seekers, Haryana abolishes posts lying vacant for 2 years

Citing “economy measures”, the state’s finance department on Monday issued orders to all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, managing directors of boards and corporations, the registrar general of Punjab and Haryana High Court, all divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and vice-chancellors of universities.

“All posts whether newly created or old, kept in abeyance or which remain unfilled/vacant for last two years may be considered deemed abolished. Formal abolition orders are to be issued within one month by the department concerned under intimation to finance department (expenditure controlling branch) and the same should be updated on e-post in consultation with the finance department. Revival of post after two years will not be considered in any case,” the orders issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) T V S N Prasad read.

“In case the department needs these posts, then fresh proposal for creating a new post after following the prescribed procedure containing full functional justification may be forwarded to the finance department,” the orders further said.

However, these conditions will not be applicable on the “posts for which the requisition have already been sent to Haryana Public Service Commission or Haryana Staff Selection Commission and for which advertisements have been issued by them and all posts that are going to be filled by way of promotion”, the orders clarified.

Opposition parties in Haryana have been attacking the Manohar Lal Khattar-Dushyant Chautala coalition government on the issue of unemployment. Citing figures released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the Opposition has been accusing the state government of making Haryana No. 1 in the country with the highest unemployment rate of over 37 per cent.

However, the state government has refused to acknowledge CMIE’s figures and has been maintaining that the unemployment rate in the state was around 6 per cent.

In the Winter Session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha that was held from December 26-28, former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda had called the BJP-JJP regime a “non-performing government” like a “non-performing asset of a bank”. Hooda had targeted the state government over the issue of unemployment and claimed that 1.82 lakh government posts were lying vacant.

The Budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha is scheduled to begin on February 20 and the Opposition is likely to take on the state government on the issue of unemployment. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also holds the finance portfolio, will present the Budget on February 23.