Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has cancelled recruitment of 77 technical and engineering posts after the private recruiting agency meant for conducting examination was selected in ‘non-transparent’ manner.
The posts in various categories were advertised by the JAKEDA in September 2017 while as the written test was held in March 2018.
As per official figures, 15,617 candidates comprising 6,489 from Jammu and 9,128 from Kashmir had applied for the posts.
Chief Executive Officer JAKEDA, Dr Owais Ahmad in an order issued on December 2 said that the recruitment had been cancelled after it was found that the Gurgaon-based consultancy firm namely ‘LM Energy and Software Private Limited’ engaged for conducting the written test for the posts had been done in a “non-transparent manner”.
As per the order, the J&K Science and Technology Department had authorized the firm to conduct examination “without issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) or Expression of Interest (EOI) thus without providing an opportunity to any other such agency”.
It said that the “proper systematic procedure for hiring of agency for recruitment was not adopted and in fact ignored that may raise apprehensions of genuineness and legality of whole recruitment process”.
The firm in question had conducted the written test for the posts in March 2018 and had also framed a shortlist of 12 single posts of various categories to JAKEDA.
It has also been learnt that the reservation rules in the category of Junior Assistant posts had “not been followed properly and the posts referred are not as per the roster to be maintained under the said rules which may be questioned in future or may land the department into litigations.”
The JAKEDA has, upon directions from competent authority, now decided to terminate the hiring of the consultancy firm and also the selection process the firm was to carry out, a source said. It will carry out a fresh recruitment under rules and regulations.
CEO JAKEDA, Dr Owais Ahmed told Kashmir Reader that decision has been taken for the benefit of candidates and said the fresh process for inviting applications would be done soon.

Irshad Khan