People's Democracy

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Successive Govts Failed on Job Front: AMM

MEETING at Srinagar on December 7, 2013, leaders of the Jammu & Kashmir Awami Muttahida Mahaz (JKAMM, People’s United Front) took stock of present political situation in the state and adopted a resolution about it. Those who attended the meeting included CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, PDF chairman Hakim Mohammad Yaseen, JKNDF president Abdul Rashid Kabuli and LJP leader Sanjay Saraf. 

The text of the resolution follows:  

“We believe that Kashmir is essentially a political problem which can be resolved through a sustained and meaningful political process. Nevertheless, the burning issues confronting the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the unemployed youth, cannot be postponed till the political part of the problem is addressed.

“One of the burning issues which we believe is adding to the atmosphere of uncertainty and alienation is the alarming rate of unemployment in the state. It is not a matter of serious concern only, but we believe that any further delay in addressing this smouldering issue will make this problem worse to handle. 

“On one side the rate of unemployment among the youth is increasing day-by-day and on the other hand the government’s lax attitude is brewing a perception among people that recruitment drive has been deferred to meet the partisan political interests in view of the coming elections.

“According to an economic survey there are over 6.01 lakh unemployed youth who are registered in various district employment exchanges in Jammu and Kashmir. The government is yet to finalise the operational modalities for engagement of 43,000 casual labourers.

“On one side the government shows its helplessness to engage daily wagers, casual labourers and need based workers, and at the same time it re-employs officers without any utility. The fallout of such an extension given in the Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) is an eye opener in this regard.

“The credibility of recruitment agencies was already at its lowest ebb and now the BOPEE paper-leak scam has further eroded the credibility of these agencies.

“We have been consistently demanding that marks allotted to candidates in viva voce are prone to manipulations; hence these points need to be reduced and the whole examination process itself must be videographed and full details of results publicised to ensure transparency.

“An instance is that of over 8,000 youth who were engaged as National Youth Corps (NYC) but soon after their absorption they were disengaged and left to run from pillar to post for their genuine demands.

“Similarly, casual, need based and daily wagers working in PDD, PHE, irrigation and other departments are not being paid their wages since long. We ask the government as to how long these youth who work on meagre wages will live on hollow promises. People who act as backbones of the centrally sponsored schemes like ICDS, NRHM, ASHA and other schemes are being provided meagre honorariums and incentives which too are not being provided in time.

“We also express our serious concern over the failure of the successive governments in the state to initiate measures for creation of ample jobs for the unemployed youth and revival of the public sector units. We believe the promotion of primary sectors could have been helpful in this regard. Keeping in view the financial constraints and limitations of the state government, the government of India must realise the urgency of the matter and extend its full support to strengthen the public and private sectors in the state.

“We call upon the government to expedite the process of recruitment so that the unemployed youth get benefited. Authorities must also clear the perceptions among people that this delaying tactics adopted in recruitment is to benefit blue-eyed people in lieu of electoral favours. This is a dangerous tendency which should be addressed in the larger interest of an army of unemployed youth of the state.”