SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered withholding of salaries of migrant Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under PM’s job package for not joining their duties in militancy-hit Valley and demanding their relocation to Jammu since May 12 while striking Pandit employees have termed it pressure tactics saying they won’t join their duties in the Valley till security situation improves.
The Deputy Labour Commissioner Kashmir has directed all Assistant Labour Commissioners of Kashmir that salary for the month of September 2022 should not be drawn in respect of the PM Package employees, who have remained absent from duties during the month.
About 5,500 Pandit employees recruited under PM’s job package in J&K have not been attending the official duties since May 12, when Pandit employee Rahul Bhat was shot dead by militants inside the Tehsil office at Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Most of the Pandit PM package employees have left the Valley and are staying in Jammu, where they hold daily protests outside the office of the Relief Commissioner to press for their relocation to Jammu. Rubon Saproo, vice president of All Migrant Displaced Employees Association Kashmir (AMDEAK) told this newspaper that majority of government departments have released salaries in favour of striking Pandit employees upto August.
“However, 40 per cent government departments have withheld the salaries of the Pandit employees for the last two to three months,” he said. Saproo said the Pandit PM package employees reject the order of Deputy Labour Commissioner Kashmir as “we feel it has been issued in haste without listening to our side as they have not ensured security of the employees”.
Terming it a pressure tactic, he said till the matter is sorted out they should not resort to such things. Ranjan Jotshi vice president AMDEAK said the PM package employees have been protesting for the past 133 days in Jammu and not a single government official has visited them to hear their point of view or give suggestions for ending this issue.
Deputy Labour Commissioner issues the order
The Deputy Labour Commissioner Kashmir has directed all Assistant Labour Commissioners of Kashmir that salary for the month of September 2022 should not be drawn in respect of the PM Package employees, who have remained absent from duties during the month.