Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Pyniaid Sing Syiem today said that the council will soon introduce a recruitment policy.
Syiem informed that the KHADC will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an agency, CRISP, to this end.
“The Winter Session of the KHADC which was convened on December 19 and 20, 2024 ended with a discussion on the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) Report and most of the members suggested that the council should have a Public Accounts Committee,” the CEM said.
He also stated that the Executive Committee will follow the observation of the CAG (on Recruitment Policy) even as he added that to this end a Public Accounts Committee was constituted on the last day of the session with leader of opposition Titostarwell Chyne as its chairman, Bindo M Lanong, Lambor Malngiang, Martle Mukhim, PN Syiem, Bajop Pyngrope as members and secretary of the Legislative Wing of the KHADC, will be its member secretary.
The CEM said that the PAC will study in depth the observations made by the CAG Report in its findings.
He also informed that previous Executive Committees had tried to bring a recruitment policy but it could not be finalised, especially when Late Teinwell Dkhar and Titosstarwell Chyne were CEMs, even as he added, that the present one led by him, had worked in tandem with the state government.
“Soon we will sign a MoU with one agency which will help us to make rules on various matters, especially one on Recruitment Policy,” the CEM said.
He said that the MoU will be signed in the next one week.
Syiem said that since the KHADC does not have a Recruitment Policy it would be difficult to comment whether it is right or wrong the appointments made in the previous years.
He said that the practice of making appointments in the KHADC has been in place for the last 72 years and nothing new.
“However we will try to reform the working of the district councils as years pass on,” the CEM said.
It may be mentioned that the CAG Report for the year ending March 31, 2019 has detected irregular appointments and anomalies in the promotion of staff in the KHADC.
The report, tabled during the winter session of the Council held in December last year, pointed out that Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Service Rules, 1961 regulate appointment and promotions of KHADC staff.
Rule 3 clearly stipulates that “the recruitment to all classes of services and staff shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of an oral examination and interview”.
However, the CAG stated the scrutiny of the records revealed that the KHADC had recruited altogether 82 staff members (permanent) to various posts during 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
The position of staff recruited during 2017-2018 include chainman (2) and peon (3) at the pay scale of Rs 17,400-41,000, enforcement constable (2) at the pay scale of Rs 19,000-44,800, lower division assistant (7) at the pay scale of Rs 26,000-62,400, junior assistant account (1) at the pay scale of Rs 28,400-67,100 and sub inspector tax (1) at the pay scale of Rs 30,300-71,600.
The position of staff recruited during 2018-2019 includes cleaner (6), chainman (2), process server (2), plantation chowkidars (7), chowkidars (5) and peon (10) at the pay scale of Rs 17,400-41,000.
During the same year, the position of staff recruited include forest guard (8), enforcement constable (9) and fisherman-cum-feeder (1) at the pay scale of Rs 19,000-44,800, assistant forester (2) and sectional assistant (4) at the pay scale of Rs 20,600-48,000 and forester (1) and record keeper (1) at the pay scale of Rs 22,000-54,400.
Further in the same year, the council had recruited 4 computer operators at the pay scale of Rs 24,700-58,400, one assistant to Nazir, one deputy ranger and one lower division assistant in the pay scale of Rs 37,800-86,400.
The CAG stated that it was, however, noticed that these 82 vacancies were never advertised, adding that the appointments were made only on the basis of the Executive Committee’s approval without holding any competitive examination/interview, etc.
