Accusing the present dispensation of doling out the most contemptuous and shabby treated to the educated youth of Jammu, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP-Chairman & former Minister said that the govt. was invariably miscalculating the intensity of raging tempers amongst the teeming youngsters. While the govt. had failed to fill up even a single post during the last nine months, it had terminated hundreds of its existing employees who were rendering useful services even in times of Corona pandemic, he claimed. He was referring to the regular issuance of termination orders by the H&ME Department during the last few weeks in Jammu region alone. The said Department seemed to be on termination spree with disengagement orders of various categories of health workers being issued on day to day basis, regretted Harsh. He pointed out that around 181 Health Department employees including staff nurses, para-medicos, record keepers, X-Ray Technicians working in GMC Kathua and GMC Rajouri were terminated last month. This was followed by termination of another batch of OT Technicians and other pharmacists last week. And now this week again dozens of Lab Assistants, Anesthesia professionals have been disengaged from the said two colleges of Jammu region while allowing their Kashmir based counterparts to continue in service despite their engagements having been made under same SRO with same terms and conditions. He was addressing a press conference in Jammu today.
Strongly condemning the discriminatory approach of the present govt., Mr. Singh said that certain vested interests in the present regime were trying to widen the gulf between the two regions of the UT. He said that regional disparities had become more glaring and pronounced after Article 370 abrogation with several other contractual and daily rated employees of Jammu division claiming to be deprived of their legitimate honorarium and wages. Seeking identical treatment to both regions of the UT, Mr. Singh called for continuation of the services of the Health employees of Jammu region on the analogy of their counterparts in Kashmir. This is not the time to disengage anyone as it would operate very harshly against the distressed oustees in such troubled times. Moreover termination of Health employees who had been rendering yeoman’s services during pandemic as frontline warriors is ill conceived and appears motivated. He said that it was not only a grave injustice with the terminated youth but also a violation of the directives of the PM Modi who had assured the Nation that none would be terminated in such tough times.
Seeking the personal indulgence of the Lt. Governor, Mr. Singh sought immediate roll back of the said termination orders and re-engagement of all disengaged workers with immediate effect. Mrs. Manju Singh, State General Secretary-JKNPP was also present in the press conference.