No salaries to those sitting at home, LG J&K to protesting Kashmiri Hindu and reserved category employees

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday made it clear to the protesting Kashmiri Hindu employees and reserved category Dogra employees against the targeted killings of minorities in the Valley that no salary will be paid to those “sitting at their homes”.

It is pertinent to mention here that Kashmiri Hindus and reserved category Dogra employees have been protesting in Jammu for the last six months, demanding that they be relocated to safer places outside the Valley after Rahul Bhatt (a Kashmiri Hindu employee) was shot dead by terrorists in his office in Budgam on May 12.

“We have paid all of them salary up to August 31, but it cannot be allowed that their salary is released when they continue to sit at home,” Sinha said. “This is a clear message which all shall understand,” he said after reporters asked him about the non-payment of salary to a number of Kashmiri Hindu and reserved category Dogra employees of the Union Territory administration who had left their postings in Kashmir and went to Jammu six months ago following targeted killings of minorities in the Valley by terrorists.

LG said he has full sympathy with the employees, and asserted that the J&K administration is fully prepared to help them and ensure their safety. However, he added, “The minority employees should also keep in mind that they are employees of the Kashmir division… Like a district cadre employee of Poonch cannot come to Jammu, those of Kashmir division, too, cannot be posted here. Everyone should understand this.”

Sinha claimed the Jammu and Kashmir administration has made sincere efforts to solve all the long-pending issues of the Kashmiri Hindus. “Almost all of them were transferred to district headquarters in consultation with district commissioners, superintendents of police and other government functionaries,” he added.

The lieutenant governor said no Kashmiri Hindu or minority community employee will not be posted alone in any office. Two or three persons will be stationed along with them to ensure their safety, he said. He also said his administration has appointed officers in every district and one in Raj Bhavan to look after their grievances of Kashmiri Hindus.