Srinagar, Jan 6, KNT: The Central Administrative Tribunal Srinagar Bench has directed the Sheep Husbandry Department of Jammu and Kashmir to merge all Class IV posts not requiring technical qualifications into a single cadre of Multi Tasking Staff and ensure uniform career progression for all such employees in strict compliance with statutory reforms.
In its order, the Tribunal held that the department failed to implement the Class IV restructuring reforms envisaged under SO 133 of 2022 and SO 151 of 2022 in their true spirit, and had adopted an approach inconsistent with the intent of the Government and the reform vision of the Lieutenant Governor.
While examining SO 133 of 2022, the Tribunal clarified that after issuance of the order, Class IV posts can legally exist only in three recognised categories: Multi Tasking Staff, sanitation workers and posts requiring technical qualifications. It ruled that all Class IV posts in the Sheep Husbandry Department, including Assistant Stockman, Fieldman, Chowkidar and other similar posts, which do not fall under the statutory exception categories, must necessarily be part of a unified Multi Tasking Staff cadre.
The Tribunal categorically held that no internal distinctions, sub categories or parallel classifications within the MTS cadre are permissible under law. Interpreting SO 151 of 2022, it further underscored that uniform career progression for all Class IV employees is a mandatory requirement.
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Directing the department to amend its Recruitment Rules, the Tribunal ordered that a single seniority list and a common promotional pathway be provided for all MTS employees, based solely on seniority and eligibility. It observed that fragmented cadre structures and differential promotion practices undermine equality of opportunity and defeat the objective of transparent and fair public employment.
Allowing the application filed by employees, the Tribunal quashed the tentative and final seniority lists issued for Budgam, Baramulla and Bandipora districts, along with departmental circulars issued for convening Departmental Promotion Committees on the basis of the impugned lists.
The Sheep Husbandry Department has been directed to prepare and notify a fresh and uniform seniority list of MTS employees within eight weeks and initiate the promotion process only after completing this exercise in accordance with statutory rules.
The ruling reinforces the 2022 Class IV reform framework aimed at eliminating outdated cadre structures, ensuring equality of opportunity and establishing a transparent and uniform system of career progression across departments. The order is expected to have wider implications in departments where non uniform Class IV practices continue despite statutory restructuring. [KNT]
