Urges LG Murmu to avoid issuing arbitrary, anti-youth orders
Straight Line News Network
Jammu, May 31: Former cabinet minister in PDP-BJP government and founder Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan, Choudhary Lal Singh on Saturday lashed out on Jammu and Kashmir government over its move of disengaging nursing staff and 45 media professionals working at Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
“It is very strange and unfortunate that during the height of pandemic, Jammu and Kashmir initially terminated services of nursing and paramedical staff when they were highly needed,” he said in a statement issued to the press.
“Now the government has issued termination of services of 45 young media professionals—who worked very diligently in last five years,” Singh said. He termed the government’s order of disengaging 45 media communication professionals as “arbitrary and unfortunate—urging Lieutenant Governor, GC Murmu to review the order.
Singh said that amid the Covid-19 crisis, when the possibility of new employment was highly bleak, the Jammu and Kashmir government’s disengagement order of 45 media professionals has come as a shocker. He said these young employees—who have been serving the Department of Information and Public Relations for the last five years haven’t been left with any option—instead government has pushed them to the wall.
Singh said disengaging 45 professionals—who were working as Reporters, Translators and Camerapersons in the DIPR amidst this crisis is an arbitrary order.
“Disengagement of these professionals and nursing staff is highly injustice and order needs to be revoked immediately,” Singh said.
Hired in 2015 by the then government, the stringers were engaged with ministers, advisors, governors for publicity and promotion of their activities in print and electronic media. The department will now be relying on meagre manpower in a situation when the workload of the department has increased manifold.
“The timing of the termination is highly disappointing and Government must rethink over it,” Singh said, “The employment uncertainty in Kashmir is already high. There are very few choices available for these professionals—why doesn’t the government think that before issuing such arbitrary and anti-employee orders.”
Singh said that instead of taking serious initiatives for the regularization of these professionals, the government was issuing arbitrary orders—against professional employees.
“This is very sad. Government must handhold employees and professionals amidst crisis and not push them to the wall,” Singh said. He urged upon the Lt Governor, GC Murmu and Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam and FC Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo to personally intervene into the matter and come up to the expectations of these professionals otherwise these employees will have no option other than to come on roads for their legitimate rights. “We salute the services of these media professionals—who have been giving us time to time updates about the government schemes and policies,” he said, they have been working on the forefront towards people despite fear of dreaded virus Covid-19.
Singh showed solidarity with these employees—assuring them for full support from civil society for restoration of their legitimate rights.
