HC snubs JKSSB for awarding contract to blacklisted company, direct in-depth inquiry

JKSSB is a den of malpractices!

•  Mr LG must intervene in this issue as the youth is being harassed by the corrupt practices of JKSSB and the officers must be penalised.
•  It is coincident or well planned plan that the secretary Sachin Jamwal was member of the then award committee which awarded contract to Merit Trac and also member of the award committee which awarded contract to Aptech Company both firms are blacklisted.
• The contract was awarded to blacklisted firm Aptech Limited on 31-10-2022, whereas the aspirants submitted a representation to chairman on 04-11-2022 vide SSB receipt No 1038 citing that the said firm is blacklisted but JKSSB ignored it.
• The JKSSB in its order JKSSB-COE0EXAM(UT)/54/2022-03 (7057013) dated 08-12-2022 has postponed the examination for the post of JKP SI scheduled on December and fresh date will be announced.

jj correspondent

Jammu, Dec 08: What is the wrong within the Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board? Why is the Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board losing its credibility with each passing day among the people? Who is responsible for bring embarrassment to Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board? Who will save the image of Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board? Why is the Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board becoming a den of malpractices and corrupt practices? Why has not the Chairman JKSSB taken the representation of aspirants seriously as they have approached the Board on 04-11-2022 and submitted the representation vide receipt number 1038? Which officer was the member of the then contract award committee to Merit Trac Service Pvt Ltd and now to M/s Aptech Limited, let identify him? Why had not the entire officers shunted out of the board to save the sinking image of JKSSB? Who is the person responsible to award the contract to a blacklisted firm? Why not JKSSB itself conducting the written test itself and opting to outsource? Who will compensate the aspirants as they are preparing themselves by spending many sleepless nights for taking test? These are the hard hitting questions irritating in the mind of people and these should be answered by the administration, so that people may trust the government.
The award committee awarded the contract to a blacklisted firm Aptech Limited on 31-10-2022 vide its office No SSB/Acctts/2022-23/698, whereas aspirants submitted a representation to chairman on 04-11-2022 vide SSB receipt No 1038 citing that the said firm is blacklisted but chairman ignored it. Had the chairman taken the representation seriously then this embracement could have been avoided?
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh cancelled all the examinations conducted by J&K Service Selection Board (JKSSB) through blacklisted firm “Aptech Limited” for the posts of Junior Engineer-civil, Jal Shakti Department, and Sub Inspector, Home Department.
The court directed the government to constitute a high level Committee headed by not less than a retired High Court Judge to enquire into the conduct of JKSSB for their “brazen” irregularities and illegalities in changing the terms or conditions of the tender.
“Also as to what weighed with them to award a contract to conduct an examination by an organization which has previously facilitated malpractices in public examinations and accordingly appropriate action be initiated against those found guilty,” the bench asked.
Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal observed that by its own act of “omission and commission’, the functioning of JKSSB does not inspire confidence in holding public examinations.
“It has become incumbent on all stakeholders to review the functioning of the Board,” the court directed.
The court while quashing a tender notice which was issued by the JKSSB on September, 30, 2022 in favour of Aptech Limited for conduct of its various examinations through computer based test mode, noted that the process adopted and decision made by awarding contract to M/s Aptech Limited is malafide and change of condition in tender was intended to favour Aptech Limited.
The court observed that these decisions will have an effect on public interest as the Aptech Limited has been assigned to conduct examinations, wherein the selectees will be appointed to hold public posts.
“Consequently, all the exams viz Junior Engineer-civil (Jal Shakti Department) and Sub Inspector (Home Department) held by respondent No.1 (JKSSB) through respondent No. 2 (Aptech Limited) in furtherance of the aforementioned “award of contract to conduct examinations” are also set aside/cancelled at whatever stage they are as on date,” the court ruled.
The JKSSB has turned into a fish market as it has lost its credibility and totally become a worthless institute. Some social activists opined that the government must order to investigate the credentials of officers of JKSSB in depth and also conduct skill test of the JKSSB officials as to know whether they are efficient officers are worthless officers. It is very astonishing that one officer of JKSSB remained member of time to time three different award committees while awarding contract to blacklisted firms, so the role of said officers must be investigated by CBI.