Jammu, January 19 (Scoop News) – The deputation of Jammu Province People’s Forum(JPPF) today told the interlocutors that Amitabh Mattoo does not fulfill the criteria of ten year service as professor or holding an equivalent post, to be considered for the post of Vice Chancellor of a university.
A deputation of Jammu Province People’s Forum lead by its Chairman Thakur Pavitter Singh, Ex-Session Judge and comprising Judge Inderjeet Khajuria, President All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association, Th. Narayan Singh President Rajput Sabha, S.Gajan Singh President transporters Union, ML Sharma and Pawan Gupta today called on the team of central interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir and complained of gross discriminations against Jammu region in all the fields, for last 63 years.
The JPPF deputation submitted that the appointment of Prof. Amitabh Mattoo as Vice Chancellor Central University Jammu in utter disregard of the sentiments of Jammu people and their strong opposition to the proposal for the same, is still an other act of discrimination against Jammu region, aimed at hurting the sentiment of the people here.
. They further alleged that the six year tenure of Prof. Mattoo as VC Jammu University marked a period of irregularities and bunglings in the university, both administratively and financially. The deputation further said that Prof. Mattoo’s well known pro-separatists and terrorists friendly leanings hurt the sentiments of the nationalist people of Jammu. During his six year tenure as VC Jammu University Mattoo had politicized the high seat of learning by encouraging anti national and separatist activities in the institution. They further stated that they had suspended their agitation in August last year against the proposed appointment of Prof. Mattoo as VC CU Jammu on the assurances from concerned quarters that only a local academician of high caliber would be appointed at this prestigious post. A panel of five names, all of whom belong to Jammu region, was submitted by the HRD Ministry to the President for appointment as VC CU Jammu. But later over riding their own recommendation the HRD Ministry gave the recommendation for appointment of Mattoo as such. This sudden development has an element of intrigue and deceit. They urged upon the interlocutors to recommend to the Union Govt. to cancel this appointment and instead appoint a person belonging to Jammu region on the job.
JPPF also complained to the interlocutors about non implementation of the written agreement reached between the State Govt. and Shri Amar Nath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti in 2008, as a result of which a strong agitation going on in the whole of Jammu region was withdrawn. The agreement provided giving due compensation to all those whose business has suffered as a result of three month long shut down and suspension of all business in Jammu during the agitation. The business community in Jammu, including the shopkeepers, transporters, hoteliers, taxi operators all had suffered a great loss. But no compensation or relief has been provided to them. Moreover, the compensation paid to the families of those who were killed during the agitation was very nominal. The deputation appealed to interlocutors to ask the state and central governments to implement the agreement in full.
It was also complained that daily wagers in Jammu including those in the PHE Department are being paid many times less wages than what is paid to their counter parts in Kashmir. It was also stated that while fifteen thousand unemployed youth in Kashmir are recruited recently in the police and other departments, the unemployed Jammu youth are totally ignored.