Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Saturday took strong exception to the engagement of retired engineers on a contractual basis by the bureaucrat-driven JK government, saying the measure will disproportionately affect the young employed as well as unemployed engineers.
This was, according to the NC spokesperson, stated by Party’s Member of Parliament (Retd) Justice Hasnain Masoodi. He expressed dismay over the engagement of retired engineers on a contractual basis in the Rural Engineering Wing of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj for execution of works on the consolidated remuneration of Rs 30,000 PM to Rs 45,000 PM. “The govt had earlier engaged skilled graduates who are working in the department on a paltry consolidated salary of Rs 11,000 PM.”
Masoodi said that the measure of re-engaging retired employees will put such qualified engineers at a greater disadvantage. “It is an injustice to those who have equipped themselves with skills required for these jobs, but the government is hell-bent to alienate them through such imprudent measures,” he said.
“Such unjust arrangements will further widen the unemployment gap in the region which is already faring badly on the national employability indicators. It will aggravate the predicaments of our unemployed youth whose future is already in lurch due to poor requirement process and absence of any viable private sector. Figures are there to prove how bad J&K is doing nationally on the employability front. Such arrangements will also foster a pessimistic attitude in youth,” he said.
Masoodi added that GOI and the incumbent J&K administration has little to offer apart from rhetoric and photo-ops. He stated that the much hype created by the incumbent administration on creating job extravaganza is yet to fructify and generate results. “Every day we hear from the local and central government on giving our youth a sense of entitlement but all that has turned out to be mere announcements. Contrarily our youth are facing incremental assaults on their future. Far from having a blended approach to deal with the scathing unemployment, the incumbent central government and local unelected government is leaving no stone unturned to choke the existing avenues of employment to our JK youth,” he added.
While demanding the roll-back of re-engagement of retired officials, he said that the number of unemployed degree and diploma holders in engineering is in the thousands. Impressing upon the incumbent government to shun the policy of reengaging retired govt employees, he said that such a short-sighted arrangement will only add to the mounting woes of our youth in Jammu, Kashmir, Pir Panjal, and Chenab areas.
