Srinagar, October 2: PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para has raised concerns over the recruitment process in Jammu and Kashmir, citing government data that shows more than 21.12 lakh applications were submitted for 15,964 posts advertised by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission and the J&K Services Selection Board over the past three financial years.

In a post on X, Para said the two recruitment agencies collected nearly Rs 114 crore in application fees between 2023-24 and 2025-26. He also highlighted that 38 examinations conducted by the JKPSC were still pending and questioned the functioning of the commission in the absence of a chairman.

The figures were provided by the government in response to a question raised by Para during the recently concluded sixth session of the J&K Legislative Assembly.

According to the government data, the JKPSC conducted 245 recruitment examinations for 4,961 advertised posts during the three-year period. The JKSSB, meanwhile, conducted 124 examinations covering 11,003 posts.

The JKPSC received 2,76,065 applications and collected Rs 24.42 crore in application fees during the period. The JKSSB received 18,36,056 applications and collected Rs 89.49 crore.

Together, the two agencies received more than 21.12 lakh applications and collected approximately Rs 113.91 crore in fees.

The government data further showed that 38 JKPSC examinations were pending. Of these, 32 related to 2025-26, while four were from the period beginning April 1, 2026. Two examinations had remained pending during 2023-24, while no pending examinations were recorded for 2024-25.

An amount of Rs 28.76 lakh had been collected in fees linked to pending and cancelled examinations.

The government said the JKPSC, with technical support from the National Informatics Centre, is working on an online system to process fee refunds in cases where posts are withdrawn or candidates make multiple payments.

It also clarified that candidates are not entitled to an automatic refund when an examination is postponed, as the recruitment process remains active and is expected to continue.

Para said the pending examinations and the vacant chairman's position had created uncertainty among government job aspirants. He called for intervention by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to address the concerns surrounding recruitment.

The post of JKPSC chairman fell vacant following the retirement of A.K. Choudhary in August. The commission is currently functioning with two serving members.

The figures come amid intense competition for government employment in Jammu and Kashmir. Government data shows that more than 11.24 lakh candidates appeared in recruitment examinations conducted by the JKPSC and JKSSB during the three-year period.