Jammu- In view of increased threat perception, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday decided to immediately post Kashmiri migrants employed under the prime minister’s special package and other employees belonging to the Jammu division in “secured locations” in the Valley by June 6, official sources said.
The decision comes after a series of targeted killings of Hindu government employees by militants in Kashmir and fears of their exodus from Kashmir.
“PM Package employees and others from minority communities posted in Kashmir division will be immediately posted at secured locations and the process to be completed by Monday, 6th June,” a source said.
“It has to be ensured that no employee should work or reside in isolated areas or in a scattered manner,” the source said.
This was decided in a high-level meeting of administrative heads and senior police officers chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha early on Wednesday, sources told PTI.
In addition to a special cell within the Lieutenant Governor’s secretariat, the General Administrative Department (GAD) will also have a dedicated email ID for complaints and grievance redressal, they said.
There is a need to sensitise the lower rung officials in every department to take up such matters and complaints seriously and on priority, they said.
Any lapse in dealing with complaints or harassment of the PM Package and minority community employees will be dealt with strictly”, he said.
The sources said that confidence-building measures must be taken to ensure that the employees feel safe and secure. Senior officers visit the employees for first-hand appraisal of concerning issues, they said.
The Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police (SPs) will actively monitor the complaints of such employees, it was decided.
Other issues of PM Package employees such as promotions and preparation of seniority lists must be completed within three weeks, they said.
The DCs and SSPs must carry out an assessment of accommodation of the PM Package and minority community employees, they said.
“It has to be ensured that no employee should work or reside in isolated areas or in a scattered manner,” the source said.
The migrant employees have been holding protests demanding they be shifted out of the Valley following the killings.
KP Employees Say ‘Preparing For Mass Migration’
Earlier on Wednesday a group of Kashmiri Pandit employees, who were given jobs under a prime minister’s package for the community began preparations for “mass migration” out of Kashmir, protesting against a series of targeted killings of non-Muslim employees by militants.
The group said they were meeting truck-owners Wednesday to negotiate a rate for transporting their goods.
Hours after a female teacher was shot dead by militants in Kulgam district, an organisation of KP employees had threatened to leave the Valley if the government did not relocate them to safer places in 24 hours.
“We have come to fix the rate with truck-owners. Let’s see if any decision comes from the government by this evening. If not, then we will migrate from here tomorrow,” one of their representatives said here Wednesday.
“We have decided that if the government did not take any concrete step for us (safety) within 24 hours, there will be mass migration again,” one of the employees said here.
He said the target killing of Kashmiri Pandits is continuing and the community is now tired of making appeals with the government.
“We should be relocated so that we can be saved. Our delegation had met the LG earlier and we had asked him to save us. We are asking for temporary relocation for two to three years till the situation in the valley returns to normal. It is the same time frame put by IGP Kashmir for making Kashmir terrorism-free,” he added.
Rajni Bala, hailing from Samba district in Jammu division, was shot dead by militants Tuesday inside the government school in Kulgam where she was posted.
Before her, Rahul Bhat, a clerk in the office of Tehsildar Chadoora in Budgam district, was shot dead inside his office on May 12.
Umesh Talashi, a National Conference leader from south Kashmir, hit out at the BJP for the present situation.
“Back to 1990, #KashmiriPandits out fixing the rates with truck drivers for shifting their base to Jammu after back to back target killings in #Kashmir. Another exodus on cards. #BJP missed to mention this while showcasing their 8 years of achievements yesterday!!” Talashi tweeted.
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