Finance Department order creates furore
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Nov 3: Over 5000 PM package employees appointed in various Government Departments in Kashmir valley under Return and Rehabilitation Programme for Kashmir migrants by Government of India framed in 2008 see their future totally bleak after the Director General Finance J&K Government in its recent letter has outrighly rejected granting of quasi permanent status to these employees.
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In its recent letter, Accounts Officer (Admn) J&K Funds Organisation Finance Department addressed to Director Finance Divisional Funds Office Kashmir has made it clear that PM package employees whose services are temporary are not entitled to be declared as quasi permanent.
The letter further said that these employees are also not entitled to their promotion to higher posts as it requires substantive service on the lower posts. “Supernumerary posts on which the migrant employees have been appointed are temporary posts and employees can’t be declared permanent against the temporary post,” the letter further said.
The letter has created a furore among over 5000 PM package employees working in Kashmir valley under odd circumstances who are totally dejected and see their career is in total jeopardy. It has also generated a lot of resentment among the various KP organisations including the parents of the employees who feel totally cheated and termed the so called Return and Rehabilitation Package formulated by Government in 2008 as a fraud with the members of KP community who were hounded out of Valley in 1989-90..
Expressing their surprise over the interpretations given by authorities from time to time regarding status of package employees, leaders of various KP organisations said that they fail to understand what was the intention of Government regarding framing of this package as the entire community in general and these hapless employees in particular feel totally cheated.
For last 16 years since this package was framed by Government of India and displaced youth were adjusted in various departments in Kashmir valley as a first step for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in Valley they were humiliated and harassed by the authorities by issuing impugned orders from time to time.
This is unfortunate that the Government has no clear cut policy on the rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits who are leading an exiled life for last 36 years, said KP leaders while showing their dismay over the role of authorities viz a viz package employees.
R K Bhat, whose organisation Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS), spearheaded the struggle for over a decade for sanction of employment package for displaced youth and rehabilitation of over-aged youth said how can the package employees be deprived of regularisation and other benefits when there are already directives from Government of India that all facilities and benefits be given to them to which the other State Government employees are entitled. They have been recruited by SSRB so how can be they deprived of facilities like regularisation benefits and promotions. This is totally against the Constitution and package by- laws, Bhat added.
“If these were temporary posts how the Government linked it with Return and Rehabilitation Package is a big question”, said Vinod Pandit a socio-political activist. Since this package was announced and KP youth joined their services in Valley they faced harassment and humiliation on every step. “On one hand they were targeted by terrorists and anti national elements and on the other hand they faced humiliation through the hands of authorities who too had a negative attitude in settling these employees in Kashmir valley”, he added.
Questioning the role of authorities towards the package employees, Rakesh Handoo spokesman, Janata Dal United (JDU) and its migrant Cell Incharge, said initially under PM’s return and rehabilitation package of 2008 it was decided that employment opportunities will be created for 15000 migrant unemployed youth. Out of which 6000 youth will be accommodated in State Government jobs, he said.
Under the package it was mentioned that to assist the State Government in providing employment opportunities, the Central Government will bear the cost towards the salary of 3000 youth till they are absorbed against the regular posts in the State Government, within a specified time frame, he added.
“When there are clear cut directives from Central Government in this regard, why authorities issue impugned orders from time to time?” he asked.
Under the package 9000 displaced youth were to be facilitated to get financial assistance to come up with self employment / business ventures. For this purpose one time assistance of Rs five lakh in cash will be provided out of which 50 percent will be grant and 50 percent will be as loan, he said.
There were other components of this Return and Rehabilitation Package but to the dismay of the community it later did not see light of the day, he added.
The GoI needs to clear its stand on Return and Rehabilitation of Displaced Pandits as how long the community will face this ordeal. “This shows the Government has no clear cut policy regarding displaced Pandits and our chances of return are totally bleak”, he added.
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