COVID-19: J&K govt opens up to contractual appointment of retired employees

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has opened up to contractual (re)appointment of retired healthcare staff – faculty members, medical officers, and senior-cum-junior consultants – in its bid to augment efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, in an unprecedented step amid a relentless rise in positive cases.

Contractual appointment of retired employees

The official order stated, "In view of the surge in COVID-19 cases in its second wave and with a view to augment the efforts of the Government in the fight against this pandemic, the sanction is accorded to the contractual appointment of those faculty members, as have retired from the Government Medical Colleges, Srinagar and Jammu and SKIMS, Soura/Bemina, who are within 70 years of age as on June 2021 and are willing to join in their respective parent institutions for deployment for COVID duty”, states a Government Order Number 378-JK (HME) OF 2021 Dated: 09.05.2021, of which a copy is in possession of Srinagar-based news agency Global News Service (GNS). Such willing faculty members shall join before the Principals Government Medical Colleges, Srinagar/Jammu/Director, SKIMS, Soura/Bemina, as the case may be."

It added, "Contractual appointment of those doctors (Medical Officers/ Consultants/Senior Consultants), as have retired from the Health Services Department, who are within 70 years of age as on June 1, 2021, and are willing to join in the Health Services Department, Kashmir/Jammu for deployment for COVID duty, as per the requirements to be worked out by the respective Directors, Health Services Department, Kashmir/Jammu shall join before the Directors, Health Services Department, Srinagar/ Jammu, as the case may be."

J&K govt issues re(appointment) orders

It noted that the contractual appointees' salary will be the last salary drawn excluding pension and commuted portion of pension in both cases and that the engagement will be for one year or until further orders, whichever comes first.

The notice declared that the posts for these engagements shall be entitled to have been formed and that those willing faculty members and doctors shall enter immediately before the concerned Heads of the institutions/Departments, ideally within seven days of the date of issuance of this order. 

Picture Credit: PTI