Jammu Kashmir Rural Development Recruitment Rules Yet To be Finalised, Draft Under Examination: Govt

The Jammu and Kashmir government has said the revised recruitment rules for the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department are yet to be finalised, with observations raised by the Standing Committee currently under examination.

The department disclosed the status in a written reply to a starred question by MLA Shafi Ahmad Wani during the ongoing session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The government said the General Administration Department constituted a standing committee through Government Order No. 985-JK(GAD) of 2024 dated April 29, 2024, read with Government Order No. 265-JK(GAD) of 2026 dated January 7, 2026, to vet and finalise recruitment rules for various gazetted and non-gazetted services, including those of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department.

The department had initiated amendments to the J&K Rural Development (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules, 2007, following rationalisation of the department under Government Order No. 59-RD&PR of 2021 dated March 2, 2021.

The proposal was placed before the Standing Committee, which, at its meeting on July 18, 2024, chaired by the Commissioner/Secretary of the ARI & Trainings Department, concurred with the departmental proposal.

The draft was subsequently sent to the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for vetting, but the file was returned with observations. The matter was then examined in consultation with the department’s Accounts Section before being taken up with the Finance Department over the proposed revision of the pay level of Panchayat Secretaries.

The Finance Department subsequently concurred with the proposal to upgrade the pay level of Panchayat Secretaries, including Village Level Workers, Multi-Purpose Workers and Gram Sevika, from Level-2 (Rs 19,900–63,200) to Level-4 (Rs 25,500–81,100).

The upgrade was approved through Government Order No. 15-JK(RD&PR) of 2026 dated January 12, 2026.

Following the pay revision, the Rural Development Department amended its draft recruitment rules and sent them back to the ARI & Trainings Department for fresh consideration by the Standing Committee.

However, at its meeting on August 5, 2026, the committee returned the revised proposal with observations. The department said these were being examined and that the revised proposal was being finalised for re-submission.

The government also said it could not yet disclose the proposed quota or percentage for promotion of in-service employees to higher posts, as the revised rules had neither been finalised nor approved by the competent authority.