NC govt faces scrutiny over employee dismissals amid political pressure

Jammu: The dismissal of two more employees by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha over alleged terror links is set to put the National Conference-led Omar Abdullah government in a difficult situation, especially against the backdrop of growing demands from Kashmir-based political groups for a review of employee terminations carried out during the Central rule in J&K.
The decision was announced just a day before a high-profile delegation of National Conference leaders, led by the Chief Minister, is set to return to J&K after completing the holy Umrah pilgrimage. This is the first instance of government employees being terminated over alleged terror links since Omar Abdullah assumed office as Chief Minister on October 16.
The move is expected to spark a major controversy, as parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party, and other political groups have been pressuring the government to establish a review committee for examining cases of employees dismissed under the Central administration.
“The decision will surely put the NC government under scrutiny, especially since the party had pledged to review such cases in its election manifesto, similar to the PDP. It will give enough fodder to the opposition groups, particularly the PDP, to take on the government for its failure to meet the expectations of the people who gave a decisive mandate to Omar Abdullah government,” a youth NC leader told The News Now, requesting anonymity.
Pertinently, the National Conference, in its election manifesto, had promised to “rectify cases of unjust job terminations”, stating “End to Unjust Terminations: Address and rectify cases of unjust job terminations, ensuring fair treatment and job security for all employees”.
On November 11, former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti asked the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to establish a review committee for all those employees terminated during the Central rule in J&K.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Mehbooba had said “the abrupt dismissal of government employees without due process—a pattern that started since 2019—has left many families devastated and, in some cases, destitute” and urged Omar government “to rectify these wrongs” while pitching for conducting “fair and thorough reviews of each case and allowing individuals or their families to present their side”.
“Such steps would not only relieve affected families but also restore confidence among government employees in J&K,” she said, adding “the dismissal of individuals, without formal inquiry or a chance for defense, affects more than just these individuals. It strains their families and creates an atmosphere of uncertainty for all government employees in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Earlier in October, Engineer Rashid, who is also the Lok Sabha member from the Baramulla, met the Lieutenant Governor and urged the Lieutenant “to revisit the cases of terminated government employees”. He had also sought the reinstatement of all employees dismissed since 2019 for alleged links to separatism.
If sources are to be believed, over 60 government employees, including senior officials from police and the civil administration, have been sacked by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha since Article 311 was amended in J&K in 2021.
Unlike the rest of the country, the amendment saw insertion of Article 311(2)(c), which does not require departmental inquiry, except for a police or an official report, to terminate the services of employees.
In July 2020, the LG Sinha-led administration constituted a committee (vide Government Order No. 738-JK(GAD) of 2020) to scrutinise the credentials of government employees allegedly involved in “anti-national activities.”

Updated On 11/30/2024 4:33:07 AM

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