Srinagar: J&K Peoples Conference senior leader and former minister Syed Basharat Bukhari has today exhorted the administration to accommodate the genuine demands of Vocational Trainers (VTs) and employees seeking restoration of the old pension scheme.
Bukhari urged the administration to engage with protesting VTs, who have called for an indefinite strike and redress their grievances so they can carry on with their duties as before. He also supported the demand of employees engaged after 2010 who have been petitioning the administration to replace the New Pension Scheme (NPS) with the old pension scheme, as implemented by various states across the country
“Employees are the backbone of any administration. Their welfare should be paramount for the administration. They leave no stone unturned in serving the state and the people of J&K. Under the NPS, employees after retirement won’t get the same benefits as employees engaged before 2010 which will be a disservice to them. The administration must take an empathetic view of their concerns and like other states put their welfare during service and after retirement before everything else,” he said.
Meanwhile, while urging the administration to enhance salaries apart from addressing other genuine concerns of Vocational Trainer, Bukhari maintained that the administration must frame a comprehensive job policy for the youth engaged as vocational trainers after due consultation with all the stakeholders.
“Young boys and girls were recruited as vocational trainers in 2016 however till date there has been no salary enhancement despite the fact that trainers are making all efforts to provide better education to students. Those who shape the career of thousands of students are forced to hit the roads due to the apathy of the present administration,” he said.
He further stated that in the spirit of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the 75th year of independence being celebrated with zeal and zest across the country, the administration should be magnanimous and listen to the concerns of protesting VTs.
“Thousands of families depend on them. The administration is duty bound to ally fears of the protesting VTs and assure them of a secured future,” he added.
