Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 5: Scores of Army porters belonging to Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Akhnoor and other districts of Jammu region, who were left “unemployed” after Kargil war, today appealed the Centre and State Governments to absorb them as they were at the verge of starvation.
“We were recruited in the year 1999 during Kargil war after we passed medical test and completed other formalities, and served in most difficult terrain in Kargil area of J&K along with Army troops till the end of Operation Vijay in 2004,” the unemployed porters said during a protest here near Press Club.
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They said during Kargil war, 10 porters lost their lives and the Government gave financial help as well as Government job to one person of the martyred porters’ families but rest of the porters were disengaged after handing over certificates and assuring preference in recruitment in Government job.
“We felt proud to be a part of the war winning troops but on the other hand we are being neglected despite being the only bread earner of our families”, they said and added that Government has framed rehabilitation and employment policy of the surrendered militants who are involved in criminal and anti-national activities but on the other hand porters who fight for the nation are still waiting to get absorbed in the different departments as assured by the then commanding authorities.
The protesting porters said that they have been left with no option other than committing suicide because successive Governments have failed to address their long pending demand of permanent engagement in the respective Government Departments.
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