Srinagar, Jun 22 (KNS): All it seems that political parties over the years have been playing with the careers of the unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

This could be gauged that successive governments have been promising of providing better employment avenues to youth but without doing anything on ground.

This is despite that as per an official report, the unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is higher than average national unemployment rate, with JK’s having 24.6 percent population in the age of (18-29 years) unemployed which is far more than all India unemployment rate of 13.2 percent.

“The unemployment rate in the age group of 18-29 years is highest among females i.e 45.1 percent. While as among male in the same age group the unemployment rate is 17.8 percent,” the report says.

While one have a look at the promises made by these parties, it seems all these have been far from reality so far.

There are hundreds of youth, who have been engaged in National Health Mission.

Since last year they have been demanding formulation of a regularization policy, seeking the benefit of Supreme Court guidelines on ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’. The government instead addressing their issues instead suspended many.

“Government has been paying no heed towards our genuine demands. The politicians are more concerned about their workers and relatives,” a youth working in the NHM told KNS.

“Government should implement the Supreme Court guidelines on Equal Pay for Equal Work. The politicians are our career abolisher. They make illegal appointments of their workers and family members but left us at the mercy of God,” he added.

Before 2014 assembly elections, all political parties made a promise of providing employment to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. After coming to the power, the PDP-BJP government took an anti-youth step, introducing SRO 202 in service rules in 2015. People were told that it was meant to curb the financial crunch in the state.

Thousands of youth have been appointed as daily wagers over the years in several departments with politicians not addressing their real issues.

The government is also conducting a performance assessment of over 30,000 special police officers.

The assessment is being carried out to sack those SPOs who have not performed well in the counter insurgency operations.

However, there are thousands of SPOs who are working in the Traffic Department. This means, they have bleak chances of getting regularized or getting other benefits leaving careers at stake.

The SPOs work on a salary of Rs 5,000 to 6,000, with those appointed earlier getting lesser wages.

In the past 4 years, an average 22 PDD workers have died or suffered disability annually in Kashmir.

Usually the linemen and appointees like casual laborers and need-based workers work on the transmission lines and other system by using the tools like cutters and screwdrivers with bare hands.

“We do our duties round the clock but still our wages are not paid regularly every month. Our wages are not released by the department on time,” a daily wager working in the Power Development Department, said.

Similarly, scores of volunteers were engaged as National Youth Corps (NYC) before the 2014 assembly elections. However, since then they have been moving from pillar to the post to get regularized. (KNS)