Hopeful that all other demands will be met shortly: Wani
Srinagar: The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on Tuesday hailed the government announcement by virtue of which the chief minister Omar Abdullah has agreed to enhancement in retirement age of government employees from 58 years to 60 years.
Talking to KNS, Abdul Qayoom Wani, senior JCC leader and president Employees joint Action Committee (EJAC) said that it was for the first time in National Conference led coalition government that the JCC has felt a positive approach from the government. “This is because of the honourable chief minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention that we saw this positive approach vis-à-vis our long pending demands,” Wani told KNS.
The JCC leader said that the chief minister has agreed to almost all pending demands of the employees the chief secretary of the state has been directed to study all other demands of the employees outside the ambit of Finance Department for finalizing and reporting with its recommendations in a one month’s period.
Wani also appreciated withdrawal of cases against employees who were booked in different agitations under ESMO and dies-non. He said: “The meeting that last for around two hours was held in cordial atmosphere and we have put forth a charter of demands containing some 27 long pending issues. Now the ball lies in government’s court.”
Wani said that the demands that were discussed with the government include revocation of draconian laws like ESMO and Dies-non, regularization of daily wagers, causal labourers (drawing regular salaries) and regularizing the salary of casual labours, need based, HDF, KGBV, Prariks, gender coordinator and framing of policy for their regularization, removal of pay anomalies in pre-revised grade of Rs 6500-10500, clerical cadre and police personnel, inclusion of five years service (notionaly) in favour of ReT’s, adhoc, contractual and migrant substitute employees, release of 6th pay commission arrears in favour of urban local bodies, municipal corporation employees and regular payment of their salary, budgetary support and revival policy for public sector undertakings to generate employment and implementation of 6th pay commission and release of arrears in their favour, pensionery benefits to PSUS and Anganwari workers on the analogy of SKICC, merger of 50 per cent DA with basic salary, enhancement in medical allowances from Rs 300 to Rs 2000, transfer policy in favour of ReTs after their regularization, especially in favour of females, strict implementation (time bound) of cabinet decision regarding the confirmation of adhoc, contractual employees after seven years, regularization of all in charge officers in all departments especially joint directors, CEO’s, principals, ZEOs, ZEPOs, headmasters and lecturers of education department, non vocational status to the officers of education department, holding DPC meeting (one man one post) in agriculture department, additional increment to junior agriculture extension officers/BSC agriculture than non technical officers as prevalent in engineering department, removal of incompetent, trained, and corrupt officers from key posts, time bound action against corrupt and tainted officers, officials, to create job avenues academic arrangements be made on war footing bases in education department on more than 20,000 vacant posts of teachers and similar arrangements in other departments, independent monitoring system for schemes in vogue like SSA, RMSA, NRHM, PMGSY, NERAGA, command area development, IAY, MDM and constitution of 7th pay commission.
“The chief minister was receptive to our demands. He said that he will meet us after every month and will strongly advocate for fulfillment of all these demands put forth by us,” Wani told KNS. He said Omar agreed to enhancement of retirement age in totality and assured that all other demands will be fulfilled after the Chief Secretary led committee studies their feasibility.