More than 30,000 Kashmiri Pandits have applied for the 2,000 re-allocated government jobs under the prime minister’s employment package. The selection process would be completed by the end of April, officials said on 30th January 2021.
The prime minister’s package for Kashmiri Pandit Migrants brought to life in 2008 has two major parts – one concerning the provision of 6,000 jobs for youth and another belonging to the provision of 6,000 accommodation units for the recruited employees.
“As regards to the jobs, out of 6,000 posts, 3,841 candidates have already been selected and appointed in various departments. The remaining 2,000-odd posts have been referred to J&K Service Selection Board (JKSSB),” a relief and rehabilitation department spokesperson said.
The official said, “The JKSSB has already received more than 30,000 applications for these posts and the selection process shall be completed by the end of April. This will ensure completion of the PM package component related to jobs.”
He said that some posts have remained open due to issues which are sub-judice.
About the construction of 6,000 accommodation units, the spokesperson said that noteworthy progress has been achieved in the last few months.
1,000-odd units have already been constructed and other 1,500 have been approved for construction since November last year, he said, continuing to say that the tenders for these units have either been finalised or will be finalised before the end of March.
“Land identification has been done for another 2,200 units. The Detailed Project Reports for these units are under finalisation and their tenders will be finalised before the end of May,” the spokesperson said.
In total, he said the procedural process has largely been finished for nearly 5,000 accommodation units.
“It is expected that land for the remaining 1,000 units will be identified within a month which will substantially expedite the project. The migrant employees recruited under the PM package will be fully accommodated within the next 18 to 24 months,” he said.
At the same time, National Conference (NC) Provincial President Devender Singh Rana has urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to take a considerate look at the demands of the Kashmiri Pandit migrants residing at Jagti township who have been protesting since the last four months.
During Rana’s trip to the Jagti township and interaction with protestors on Friday 29th January 2021, he said, “Till their safe and honourable return to their homes in the Valley, every effort is needed to be made to mitigate the sufferings of the migrants.”
As a symbol of unity and agreement, he stood along with leaders of the NC Minority Cell, sat with the protesters who are demanding an increase of cash relief from Rs 13,000 to Rs 35,000 per month for each family, disbursement of the pending amount of compensation for their damaged properties and retrieval of their encroached lands and houses in the Valley.
The protesting migrants have also been demanding filling up of the vacant posts under the PM package, issuance of appointment orders in favour of 45 and 83 candidates under the package, whose appointments were stayed and subsequently vacated by the court.
The agitating migrants also looked for appropriate housing for the migrant employees posted in Srinagar and other places in the Valley.
During their interaction with Rana, they said that the Lt Governor had secured them saying he would look into these issues during his visit to the township in September last year but nothing has emerged so far.
Rana guaranteed the migrants that he would take up their demands with the Lt Governor.
