Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 28

Senior ministers in the National Conference (NC)-led government on Sunday rejected allegations of political favouritism in public appointments and accused opposition parties of attempting to divert attention from recruitment controversies that occurred during their own tenure, as a dispute over outsourcing and employment practices intensified.

The remarks came a day after opposition leaders, particularly from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accused the Omar Abdullah government of allowing politically connected individuals to benefit from appointments while defending the use of outsourced manpower across government departments.

At a joint press conference in Srinagar, Cabinet Minister Sakeena Itoo alleged that controversial recruitments carried out during the PDP-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government remained under investigation and questioned the opposition’s credibility in raising allegations of nepotism.

“Those who are accusing us today should first explain the appointments made during their own government,” Itoo told reporters.

She referred to recruitments in Jammu and Kashmir Bank and the Jammu and Kashmir Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB), both of which have faced scrutiny from investigating agencies over alleged irregularities.

Without naming individuals, Itoo alleged that several appointments made during the previous administration had benefited politically influential families.

“There are Anti-Corruption Bureau investigations into those recruitments. Many beneficiaries belonged to influential political families,” she said.

The minister said details of those recruitments had already entered the public domain and accused the opposition of using the outsourcing controversy to shift public attention away from questions surrounding appointments made while it was in office.

The exchange reflects the increasingly confrontational political debate over government employment in Jammu and Kashmir, where allegations of favouritism have surfaced repeatedly across successive administrations and where public-sector jobs remain among the most sought-after sources of employment.

Questions over recruitment practices have gained renewed prominence since the National Conference returned to power following the 2024 assembly elections, with opposition parties accusing the government of relying excessively on outsourced personnel while permanent vacancies remain unfilled.

The government has denied those allegations, arguing that outsourcing is a temporary administrative arrangement distinct from regular recruitment and that permanent appointments continue through statutory recruitment agencies.

During Sunday’s interaction, Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Dar also responded to allegations concerning the appointment of one of his relatives in a university.

Dar rejected suggestions that political influence had played any role, saying universities function as autonomous institutions with independent recruitment procedures.

“Universities have their own recruitment process, and the government has no role in those selections,” he said.

“If someone happens to be my relative, that does not take away his or her constitutional right to compete for a post.”

Dar said public debate should distinguish between a lawful appointment made through a competitive selection process and political interference in recruitment.

He said that merely being related to a politician could not be treated as evidence of wrongdoing.

The government has repeatedly maintained that appointments made by autonomous institutions, including universities, fall outside the executive’s jurisdiction and are governed by their own statutory regulations.

The opposition, however, has argued that politically connected individuals continue to receive preferential treatment across public institutions, an allegation denied by the government.

Employment has remained one of the most politically sensitive issues in Jammu and Kashmir, where high youth unemployment, delays in recruitment examinations and allegations of irregularities have fuelled public discontent for years.

Successive governments have faced accusations of political patronage in public appointments, while several recruitment processes have been investigated by anti-corruption agencies or challenged before courts.

The latest exchange underscores how questions surrounding government jobs have become a central battleground between the ruling National Conference and opposition parties, with both sides invoking controversies from previous administrations to bolster their respective claims.