30,000 Kashmiri Pandits applied for over 2,000 posts under PM package: Officials

The prime minister's package for Kashmiri Pandit migrants announced in 2008 has two major components – one pertaining to the provision of 6,000 jobs for youth and another pertaining to the provision of 6,000 accommodation units for the recruited employees.

"As regards to the jobs, out of 6,000 posts, 3,841 candidates have already been selected and appointed in various departments. The remaining 2,000-odd posts have been referred to J&K Service Selection Board (JKSSB),'' a relief and rehabilitation department spokesperson said.

''The JKSSB has already received more than 30,000 applications for these posts and the selection process shall be completed by the end of April. This will ensure completion of the PM package component related to jobs,'' the official said.

He said there are a few posts which have remained unfilled due to matters which are sub-judice.

About the construction of 6,000 accommodation units, the spokesperson said significant progress has been achieved in the last few months.

While 1,000-odd units have already been constructed, another 1,500 were approved for construction in November last year, he said, adding the tenders for these units have either been finalised or will be finalised before the end of March.

"Land identification has been done for another 2,200 units. The Detailed Project Reports for these units are under finalisation and their tenders will be finalised before the end of May," the spokesperson said.

Cumulatively, he said the procedural process has substantially been completed for nearly 5,000 accommodation units.

"It is expected that land for the remaining 1,000 units will be identified within a month which will substantially expedite the project. The migrants employees recruited under the PM package will be fully accommodated within the next 18 to 24 months," he said. Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) Provincial President Devender Singh Rana has exhorted Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to take a considerate view with regard to demands of the Kashmiri Pandit migrants residing at Jagti township here who are agitating for the last over four months.

"Till their safe and honourable return to their homes in the Valley, every effort is needed to be made to mitigate the sufferings of the migrants," Rana said during his visit to the Jagti township and interaction with those protesting on Friday. As a mark of solidarity, he along with leaders of the NC Minority Cell, sat with the protesters, who are demanding increase of cash relief from Rs 13,000 to Rs 35,000 per month for each family, disbursement of pending amount of compensation for their damaged properties and retrieval of their encroached lands and houses in the Valley.

The protesting migrants have also been demanding filling up of the remaining posts under the PM package, issuance of appointment orders in favour of 45 and 83 candidates under the package, whose appointments were stayed and subsequently vacated by the court. The agitating migrants also sought adequate accommodation for the migrant employees posted in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley. During their interaction with Rana, they said that the Lt Governor had assured them of looking into these issues during his visit to the township in September last year but nothing concrete has emerged so far.

Rana assured the migrants that he would take up their demands with the Lt Governor.