On Friday, June 2nd, the Waqf Board issued an order to re-designate the positions of 323 workers who, as of this date, have not provided a valid certificate of completion of the tenth grade.
Several kinds of personnel have been hired by the J&K Waqf Board without clear criteria being prescribed, as stated in an order issued by Executive Magistrate Tehsildar, Ishtiyaq Mohi-ud-din, as reported by the news outlet Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
According to the directive, these workers’ “services have only been utilised as per their designations,” which may include “Chowkidars,” “Sweepers,” “Peons,” “Orderlies,” “Tehveeldars,” “Bus Conductors,” “Malies,” or “whatever else may have been randomly assigned to them.”
According to the document, no new hires have been made since the J&K Waqf Board was established in 2022, and a thorough effort to rationalise postings is now under way to make the most use of Waqf funds.
“At the same time, a massive exercise is being carried out for mass transfers of staff following decades of Stay Period.
This office has verified all workers’ Educational Qualification Certificates with the relevant Recognised Issuing Authorities, and a number of certificates have been found to be forged, prompting the institution of disciplinary measures.
It went on to say that because of this, the Board’s lowest echelons are woefully understaffed, and essential positions like Sweepers and Chowkidars are lacking at the Sub-Unit level.
This personnel shortage has worsened as a result of the Board’s recent decision to terminate the employment of all workers who are above the age of 55 and the lack of any new hires in this area.
It went on to say that 323 workers on the enclosed list are either functionally illiterate or have failed to submit a genuine 10th pass academic qualification certificate to date. As a result, their positions will be reclassified as Multi-Purpose Staff (MPS), as requested by the competent authorities.
All kinds of employment that do not need any sort of technical or professional degree will be designated as such. All of these workers will thereafter be put to use in carrying out any task that doesn’t call for a specialised set of abilities.
It made clear, however, that a change in title does not exonerate an employee from a service-related investigation or anomalies in hiring or promotion.
“Further, all personnel assigned in Shrines, from the Administrator to the lowest level, are further identified as “Khaadim-e-Ziyarat,” it added, adding that the administrators should consequently guarantee that the whole staff wears a visible identification card at all times with this designation.
