70,000 posts lying vacant: Sukhu govt to frame policy soon

The government of Himachal Pradesh is working on a policy to fill over 70,000 vacant posts across various departments, including education and health, in the state. A cabinet sub-committee meeting was held to discuss the vacancies and the slow recruitment process, with the committee members seeking the law department's opinion on framing a policy for direct recruitments to fill the posts. The Congress had promised to fill the vacant posts in its poll manifesto.

With more than 70,000 posts lying vacant in various departments, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s government will be framing a policy to fill up the vacancies. The Congress had promised to fill the vacant posts in its poll manifesto.

The Congress had promised to fill the vacant posts in its poll manifesto.

A cabinet sub-committee meeting on employment opportunities was held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and detailed discussions were held regarding the vacant posts in various departments of the state government.

Other members of the sub-committee, including revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi and education minister Rohit Thakur, were also present in the meeting. The cabinet sub-committee held the second round of discussions on Monday. The three committee members met again to finalise the draft policy. The Congress had promised one lakh jobs a year during the elections. The committee sought an opinion from the law department on framing the policy for making direct recruitments to fill up the vacant posts.

Around 70,000 posts of different categories are lying vacant in various departments, said the industries minister.

During the past five years, 2,375 posts were filled through the HP Public Service Commission, Shimla, and 15,706 posts have been filled through HP Staff Selection Commission, Hamirpur. The cabinet sub-committee has expressed concern over the slow recruitment process and discussed mechanism to speed up the process.

“People in the hard regions are facing hardships due to the posts lying vacant in various departments, especially in the education department,” said Harshwardhan Chauhan. “Filling up the posts is the government’s priority,” he said.

About 16,000 posts are lying vacant in the education department and the government is looking forward to fill up these posts at the earliest.

The cabinet sub-committee was of the opinion that there was a dire need for teachers in the schools and recruitment through the public service commission would take a lot of time.

“Neither the public service commission will do the recruitment, nor the committee of SDM like SMC, but the department itself can appoint a teacher. Along with the three ministers, the secretary of education and law department will also be present in the meeting.

The cabinet sub-committee will place its recommendations in the cabinet and the process of recruitment will be started.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Harshvardhan Chauhan said the total number of vacancies in the education department is 22,974. Of these, 13,383 posts are vacant in elementary education department and 9,591 in higher education. The education department has given a feedback in the meeting that regular teachers do not go to remote areas.

Of 70,013 posts lying vacant in government departments, 18,542 are in dying cadre, and 920 have already been abolished.

BOX: Vacancies in key depts

PWD 15,816

Elementary edu 13,383

Health dept 10,199

Higher edu 9,591

Jal Shakti dept 4,530

Transport dept 2,425

Police dept 2,249

Animal husbandry dept 1,808

Rural development 1,658

Agriculture dept 1,340

Electricity board 997

Department of ayurveda 794

Forest dept 593

Industries dept 566

Co-op 550

Home guard dept 461

Treasury dept 417

Excise dept 412

Settlement dept 266