Srinagar, June 03, (Scoop News)- Amid thunderous applause of hundreds of government employee representatives, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this afternoon announced his intension to enhance the retirement age of employees from 58 to 60 years and the upper age limit for youth to obtain government job from 37 to 40 years. He further announced the deadline of one month for finalizing the regularization of adhoc employees whose cases are under process in Finance Department.
“I will strongly advocate the enhancement of age issue in the Cabinet and make sure that it is approved to the best satisfaction of the employees”, he said directing Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey who alongwith Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas and Secretary General Administration Department, Mohammad Ashraf Bukhari was flanking him in the meeting he took with leaders of Employees Joint Consultative Committee (EJCC) here, to take action for withdrawing all cases instituted against agitating employees under ESMO. He said he has already given orders for withdrawal of dies-non against agitating employees.
The Chief Minister constituted a Committee comprising Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary General Administration Department to study all other demands of the employees outside the ambit of Finance Department for finalizing and reporting with its recommendations in a one month’s period. “I will personally monitor the functioning of this Committee and all other issues pertaining to the welfare of employees and talk to representatives of employees myself without any mediators. We will be meeting in every month here in the Banquet Hall to sort-out issues and cement the relations between the government and its employees”, he said adding that after a period of month he will share the findings and recommendations of the Committee he constituted in the meeting led by the Chief Secretary with the representatives of the employees.
The Chief Minister fixed a deadline of one month for the Finance Department to finalize the recommendations on casual employees. He said his government has always been employee-friendly and it took historic and hard decisions in favour of its employees despite severe financial conditions. “We provided you with 6th Pay Commission benefits, its arrears and host of other facilities to improve your conditions and are ready to sort-out all pending issues with you in a friendly and amicable atmosphere”, he told the representatives of employees of all government employee associations of the State.
The Chief Minister said that much politics has been done on the issue of enhancing retirement age of government employees. “Many played double role in this regard and while talking to employees they extended their support to them and to youth they told that it would be counter-productive for the interests of unemployed youth”, he said that enhancement of retirement age will have no effect on recruitment of youth as the government will continue the recruitment process to fill up the vacant posts in different government departments. He said no wrong impression should be given to the youth in this regard and no politics needs to be done on this important welfare measure any more.
The Chief Minister made a mention of the role played by Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey in advocating and justifying the need to enhance the retirement age of government employees and extending him the highest support in this regard.
Earlier, the President EJCC, Abdul Qayoom Wani and its Convenor, Rouf Ahmad in their speeches expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for his keenness to ensure redressal of all grievances of the employees.
“It is the historic fact that you intervened at all junctures to approve 6th Pay Commission recommendations in favour of government employees as also payment of the huge amount of Rs. 4200 crores as arrears to the employees. We also want to place it on record that your sagacity and employee-friendly approach made all problems easy to solve”, they said and complimented the Chief Minister for taking initiative to resolve all issues with employees. They said that they convey the gratitude of all the employees of Jammu and Kashmir to the Chief Minister for his keenness for the welfare of government employees.
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