Srinagar- The Divisional Administration Kashmir has framed a new policy for the Kashmiri Pandit employees working under the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package (PMRP) that entails same place of posting for the couples and no more remote area postings for the employees.
The administration is also working on providing safe and secure accommodation to the employees.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole told a local news agency KNO that in the wake of concerns expressed by the KP members especially the employees working under PMRP following the killing of their colleague in Chadoora, the administration has decided to place the couples at one place of posting. “It won’t be like the husband will be in one district and the wife in another. They will share the same place of posting,” he said.
The Divisional Commissioner said that no KP employee would be posted in remote area where he or she can become a soft target for militants. “There will be no more remote area postings for KP employees irrespective of their gender,” he said.
Pole said that the administration was also working on providing safe and secure accommodations to KP employees across Kashmir. “It will be ensured that KPs feel safe and secure at the places they will be putting up,” he said, adding that other measures are also in the pipe-line that will be accordingly taken.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir visited Vessu, Qazigund along with IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar and held a face to face interaction with the protesting KPs. The KPs are up in arms since the past one week against the killing of their colleague Rahul Bhat. Bhat was shot dead inside Tehsil office Chadoora, Budgam last week.
His killing evoked massive protests and condemnations from KP community and the civil society. The KP had threatened to leave the Valley enmass if administration failed to take concrete measures for their protection and safety.
Pakistan, Militants Agenda To Make You Leave Kashmir: IGP
Meanwhile protests continued for the sixth day Tuesday in Kashmir over the killing of Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat, even as a top police official assured the protestors a permanent peace will return to the valley soon as security forces will eliminate all terrorists “within one-and-a-half year”.
Kashmir Zone Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar also urged the protesters to be patient and not get carried away by political parties”.
The Kashmiri Pandit employees, who had returned to the valley under the Prime Minister’s Employment package for the migrants, held protests at various places including at migrant colony in Budgam and Anantnag.
Demanding justice for Bhat, they burnt the effigy symbolising the Jammu and Kashmir administration, and raised slogans against Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
At the protest sites, the air resonated with the slogans such as “LG tum ek kaam karo, kursi chhodd aaraam karo (essentially asking the LG to resign)”, ‘administration down down’ and ‘we want justice’.
“Tum kitne Rahul maroge , har ghar se Rahul niklega (How many Rahuls will you kill, each house will produce a Rahul)” has become the war cry at the protest sites across the valley.
IGP Vijay Kumar, who visited the protestors at two sites, urged Kashmiri Pandits not to leave the valley under fear as it would be a victory for “Pakistan and terrorists”.
“You don’t have to be scared, you should not leave from here. If you go to Jammu or any other place, that is the agenda of Pakistan and terrorists. So we have to work together to defeat the agenda of the enemy,” he said.
Kumar said there will be a permanent peace in Kashmir in the near future.
“Police, army and CRPF together will eliminate all of them (terrorists) within one-and-a-half year. A permanent peace will come by eliminating the militants, for that you will have to be patient and not get carried away by political parties,” he added.
The IGP asked the protestors to vacate the road at Anantnag and hold the sit-in protest inside their colony due to safety concerns.
“I have visited the other camps also, they are protesting there as well but within the colony. Sitting on the road is dangerous as the militants can throw a grenade while passing by on a bike or in a cab,” he said.
Kumar told the protestors that protesting is no crime or sin. You should protest but not on the road .
“There are two aspects one is to provide security and the second is to follow the standard operating procedure. This is totally unsafe to sit on a dharna on the road; you can sit on the dharna inside. When army police and CRPF are attacked, civilians are sitting ducks.”
Kumar said there was an extensive exercise going on with respect to the security of the migrant employees.
“The security of the camps (colonies) will be enhanced. Employees posted in remote areas will be brought to the district headquarters.
“Besides providing security, the other aspect is to reduce the number of terrorists. Right now their numbers have come down significantly out of frustration they are hitting soft targets like off-duty policemen or minority community members or migrant labourers,” he added.
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