SRINAGAR: Angered by the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s ‘no salary if sitting at home’ remark, the PM package Pandit employees for the second day protested in Jammu. They asserted that they won’t rejoin their duties in militancy-hit Valley till the situation improves there “as life is more precious than salary”. Rubon Saproo president of All Migrant Displaced Employees Association Kashmir told this newspaper that all the PM package employees and Pandits have been angered by the L-G’s remarks.
Sinha while addressing mediapersons in Jammu on Wednesday asserted that salaries will not be provided to those sitting at home, “It is a clear and loud message and everybody should listen and understand it”. “We were expecting relief from Lt Governor but he has hurt us,” he said.
On LG’s statement that PM package Pandit employees had sought some breathing period after the killing of a Pandit employee by militants on May 12, Saproo said, “We never sought breathing period. During our meeting with Lt Governor, we had clearly told him that our lives were under threat and demanded temporary relocation to Jammu”. The PM package Pandit employees staged a protest for the second day in Jammu today against Lt Governor’s remarks.
“The protests have intensified. There is no dilution in our demand - relocation to Jammu in view of security concerns in Valley. The administration should seriously think about the security of PM package employees and cosmetic therapies won’t work,” Saproo said. He said the reality is that PM package Pandit employees don’t feel safe in the Valley and seek relocation to Jammu.