JAMMU DECEMBER 31 (KNS): Expressing anguish and deep concern over unabated target killings in the Valley, former minister and senior National Conference leader .
Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to allow the PM Package and Jammu based employees in Kashmir to work from home till the situation becomes conducive for them to resume offline duties.
“Covid Pandemic is a living example of work from home culture and this mechanism can be adopted for the vulnerable sections of the government employees in Kashmir”, .
Mr Sadhotra said in a statement issued here this afternoon.
He said the innocent employees cannot be made fodder of the egoistic government, leaders and the administrators, who have failed to instill a sense of confidence among them in the wake of one after another unfortunate and barbaric killings in the Valley.
The desperate employees are protesting for months in support of their legitimate
demands but nobody seems to be serious enough in addressing these. This is unethical and insensitive on the part of the government, which should have come up with a pragmatic road map to the malady after taking into confidence the stakeholders.
Instead, those at the helm are entering into arguments and provocative posturing thus adding salt to their injuries, he said, adding that the tall claims of the government about normalcy stand tormented at ground zero.
Mr Sadhotra referred to the recent high level meeting held in New Delhi regarding the Kashmir situation and expressed dismay that the issue of the PM Package and Jammu based reserved category employees did not even come up for discussion, according to the proceedings that were put to public domain. This is unfortunate that the apex forum did not find it appropriate even to consider the demands of those who have been hitting streets in chilly cold after soaring summers.
This speaks volumes about the seriousness attached to this issue, he said and cautioned the Centre and the UT government here about the pitiable condition of thousands of families suffering due to mental agony. Due to failure in providing them safety and sense of security, the administration has made both the Kashmiri Pandit and Scheduled Caste category employees and their families vulnerable besides pushing them to psychological distress, he said.
Mr Sadhotra also sought release of withheld salaries immediately and not exert any pressure on them for resuming their duties, as ‘work from home’ should be a guiding factor for the government to resolve the issue till situation becomes conducive in the Valley.
Mr Sadhotra described the suggestion put forth by Dr Farooq Abdullah to Prime
Minister Mr Narendra Modi for calling an all-party meeting on the issue, saying that these categories of employees cannot be made sacrificial lambs if security is not
provided to them. He hoped that such a measure would help in solving the issue
earnestly. (KNS)