AFHQ Association Meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh on Employee Issues
A delegation from the Armed Forces Headquarters Association, led by Pavan Kumar (National General Secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) and Pankaj Yadav (General Secretary of AFHQ Association), met with Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh to discuss employee service matters. The association expressed appreciation for the timely promotions being undertaken by the Department of Personnel and Training under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and thanked the ministry for providing regular opportunities to present their concerns.
The delegation raised specific issues affecting employees serving at Armed Forces Headquarters, particularly concerning the Section Officer cadre. They highlighted that against vacancies projected through the Union Public Service Commission during 2018-2024, very few candidates had actually joined, leading to substantial unfilled positions. The association proposed addressing this concern through appropriate consideration of the recruitment quota system.
Compassionate appointment issues were also discussed, including delays in case considerations, the existing 5% quota limit, and the criteria used to assess eligibility for dependents of deceased employees. The discussion covered the difficulties faced by families awaiting appointments and the implications of applicable restrictions.
Dr Jitendra Singh directed officials to examine the feasibility of rationalizing the existing recruitment quota in consultation with concerned officials, considering actual recruitment patterns and the substantial number of unfilled vacancies. Regarding compassionate appointments, he discussed the need to consider prescribed eligibility conditions and assessment criteria while accounting for administrative and legal implications of any proposed changes. The meeting concluded without any final decisions on changing recruitment quotas or compassionate appointment rules, with matters referred for further examination through appropriate administrative channels.