Vivek Koul
Government always speaks in high volumes as far as the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants is concerned but the harsh reality is totally different. The J&K government has completely failed to rehabilitate KPs back to the valley since their forced exodus. Government step motherly treatment towards this microscopic peaceful community have closed all doors for their safe and dignified return back to the Kashmir valley. It was in the year 2009 the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has announced a special job package for the Kashmiri Migrants in order to rehabilitate them back to the Kashmir valley. But very unfortunately nothing of that sort has happened till date as J&K government seems to be less interested in making this rehabilitation package a grand success. Recently General Administration Department (GAD) has issued a draconian order by making SO-194 applicable to all those PM package employees who were appointed after 17th June, 2020. This is total arbitrary and unconstitutional order and has been forcefully imposed over the PM package by making strange ammendment over PM package. Under the SO-194 the migrant employees who are working in Kashmir valley will be getting only basic salary without any allowances like HRA, DA, TA, Medical, no increment during the probation period. These PM package employees are living in rented accommodation across various districts in Kashmir by giving hefty amounts as a monthly room rent. Now the applicability of SO-194 on PM package will make their lives difficult and tough as surviving with such a less salary is next to impossible now-a-days when the prices of all essential commodities have sky rocketed. Further, thousands of new aspirants are also in the pipeline to join various departments in Kashmir under this package job package but now it would be extremely difficult for them to survive with such a meager salary. The J&K government is habitual of giving hollow promises to Kashmiri Migrants/Pandits but at the ground zero nothing good has happened in this context. Their rehabilitation back to the valley has remained a distant dream only.
It is also pertinent to mention here that these posts are Supernumerary posts and the funds for their salaries are not borne on the establishment of J&K UT. The funds for their salaries are borne completely by the centre government so as such applicability of SO-194 to these supernumerary posts does not arise. Further, Department of Disaster Management Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) has also made it clear that these PM package migrant posts does not come under the purview of SO-194 or SRO-202. Moreover, General Administration Department has also conveyed through their old notification no: GAD/MTG/RB-IV/23/2020/Part-1, Dated: 17-06-2020 that no fresh appointments shall be made under S.O-194. Now one fails to understand as to why the GAD has made SO-194 applicable to all PM package employees who are appointed after 17.06.2020. This order in itself is contradictory in nature and the GAD has miserably failed to explain the rationale behind the applicability of S.O 194 on the PM package. This lackadaisical approach of the government have left all those migrant employees in lurch and disdain. It is high time now that the LG’s administration must understand the issues of all PM package migrant employees and try to resolve this matter as early as possible so that all new recruits under this much talked about PM package will feel sign of relief.
