Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 11
The Central Administrative Tribunal has directed the Jammu and Kashmir government to decide the regularisation claims of 12 Rehbar-e-Janglat workers within eight weeks, in accordance with the applicable policy and rules.
A bench comprising Judicial Member M S Latif and Administrative Member Prasant Kumar issued the direction while hearing a petition against the administration, the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K.
The workers sought consideration of their cases under the Rehbar-e-Janglat Policy notified through Government Order No. 155-FST of 2017, dated June 20, 2017, and subsequent government orders.
They said the policy, approved through Cabinet Decision No. 96/6/2017 on June 16, 2017, provided for engaging unemployed forestry graduates, postgraduates and candidates trained through the Diploma in Forestry-related programmes.
According to the applicants, the policy also envisaged the creation of 333 additional Forest Guard posts and regularisation of eligible personnel against substantive vacancies after five years of satisfactory and continuous service.
The workers said they had been engaged under the scheme on a consolidated monthly remuneration of Rs 5000 and had continued working in the Forest Department and its allied wings.
They further cited Government Order No 99-JK(FST) of 2021, issued on September 15, 2021, which sanctioned the adjustment of 234 supernumerary Forest Guard posts against vacancies arising from retirements and other reasons.
The applicants argued that despite their continued service and the identification of vacancies, their regularisation cases had not been finalised. They sought individual assessments of their engagement records, qualifications, length of service, eligibility, weightage and inter-se seniority, as well as consideration against available substantive posts.
The tribunal directed the authorities to treat the original application and additional representations submitted by the workers as a representation and decide the matter in accordance with law.
It instructed the government to consider the 2017 policy, subsequent government orders and the Supreme Court judgment cited by the applicants.
The tribunal said the benefit should be extended if the applicants were covered by the judgment and no legal impediment existed.
