Finance Department hints at lifting recruitment freeze for key departments

There appears to be some good news in store for government job aspirants. The Finance Department is expected to give its nod for recruitment this fiscal. Though not all recruitment requests will be approved, proposals will be cleared based on immediacy, according to sources.

A circular by the department has raised hopes among aspirants and various government departments, as it indicated that the government was open to lifting the freeze on issuing new appointment orders to candidates.

The circular issued by Finance Secretary (Budget & Resources) Ekroop Caur stated that only a few proposals submitted by various departments will be considered initially.

The government had frozen recruitment for government jobs on July 6, 2020, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The freeze came at a time when the government struggled to steer the economy back to normalcy.

Several departments had written to the department seeking exemption from the moratorium. The Finance department had assured to approve some of the proposals after April 1, 2021.

“Administrative departments are now directed to submit those proposals again for re-examination by the Finance department,” the circular said, adding that any new appointments will require concurrence from the Finance department.

“Though the state is far from reaching the pre-Covid economic levels, the Finance department will likely clear few of the recruitment proposals it has sought for re-verification,” sources told DH. Home, Higher Education, Primary and Secondary Education, and Health and Family Welfare departments are among those seeking clearance for recruitment.

Staff shortage is a grievance put forth by all departments. However, requests of only key departments will be approved initially, before taking up proposals from small departments, the sources added.