KHADC to sign MoU with CRISP for framing transparent recruitment policy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 9, 2025

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has decided to soon sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Research in Schemes and Policies (CRISP) for streamlining the job recruitment process by coming up with a transparent recruitment policy in the council.

Informing this on Thursday, KHADC chief Pyniaid Sing Syiem said that the decision of signing the MoU with the CRISP – a recognized institution – was in line with the recommendations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its reports, which have highlighted irregularities in the job recruitment process in the council.  

“The CAG reports tabled during the just concluded winter session of the Council have clearly pointed out that the recruitment process has been carried out without advertisement and conduct of examinations/interviews,” he said.

Syiem said that in the past the previous executive committees (ECs) did try to introduce the recruitment policy in the council but till date the same is yet to be implemented.

“However, the present EC has taken initiative to work with the state government and accordingly now we will sign MoU with the CRISP to assist the KHADC in formulating various rules and regulations especially in framing its own recruitment policy,” he said while assuring that his EC will find out ways and means to improve the functioning of the district council in the coming years.

The CAG in its report has recommended the KHADC to cancel the appointment of 82 employees due to non-adherence to recruitment policy. 

“Non-adherence to the recruitment policy creates opportunities for favouritism in the hiring process. In order to maintain fair competition for selection of deserving candidates, the Council may follow recruitment rules. These appointments, being in violation of the Council’s own Rules, need to be annulled/cancelled,” the report said. 

The KHADC Service Rules, 1961 regulate appointment and promotions of KHADC staff.

Rule 3 clearly stipulates that ‘the recruitment to all classes of services and staff shall be made after due advertisement and by competitive examination or on the basis of an oral examination and interview’.

Scrutiny of records revealed that KHADC recruited 82 staff members (permanent) to various posts.

It was, however, noticed that these 82 vacancies were never advertised. The appointments were made only on the basis of Executive Committee’s approval without holding any competitive examination/interview etc, the report said.

KHADC had incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.06 crore during 2017-19 on the pay and allowances of these appointees. 

However, reasons for recruiting the staff without holding any competitive examination/interview and number of the sanctioned posts against each cadre were neither on record nor furnished to audit though called for, it said.