Jammu, 02.10.2011:
Questioning the non-existence of a clear grievance redressal structure for grievances of nomadic communities, the Jammu Kashmir Tribal United Forum (TUF), an apex organisation working for the affairs of Gujjars, on Sunday asks the state govt. to design a concrete mechanism at all levels and departments of govt. to properly redress the grievances faced by these marginalised communities.
In order to discuss the burning problems faced by the Gujjar & Bakerwal, Tribal Forum organised a day long brain storming session which was attended by the intellectuals of the communities. The main issues of the Gujjars communities deliberated here in this session were the non-implementation of STs reservation in promotion & recruitment; lapse of huge backlogs, discrimination in development of areas inhabited by Gujjars, no representation of Gujjar community in the quorum of main recruitment agencies of State, like Public Service Commission and Service Selection Recruitment Board.
While speaking on the occasion, President of TUF, Roshan Din Choudhary said that it has been since long the law had been framed to safeguard the interests of tribal and other downtrodden sections but unfortunately the same was on papers only due to lethargic approach of the concerned implementing authorities. Resultantly the successive governments in the state have failed to mitigate the problems of nomads.
Dr. Zabeer Ahmed Bajjar, General Secretary of Forum said that the Gujjar & Bakerwal communities is burdened under multi-faceted problems like no check on issuance fake STs certificate, lapse of huge backlog accrued due to contractual, adhoc and temporary mode employment, disparity to tribal officers in promotion and placement. Exhorting the govt. to evolve a clear mechanism to ameliorate their sufferings, Dr. Bajjar said that the formulation of redressal mechanism for Gujjar & Bakerwal would surely streamline the functioning & implementation of hitherto promises of the govt. made towards their communities. “We have written to the successive state governments repeatedly and would still keep on writing to them,” he also said.
Er. Shah Mohd., another speaker in this brain storming session alleged that there is no Gujjar member in recruitment board/commission like Service Selection Recruitment Board, Public service Commission, have negligible representation in civil secretariat and district level civil and police administration.
Assad Chouhan, Coordinator of TUF District unit Poonch at said that there has been definite tardiness in the implementation rules and laws pertaining to Tribal sections particularly the Gujjar & Bakerwal which calls for a serious and thorough approach of the concerned authorities.
Among others who spoke on the occasion were Tanwir Ahmed, Khursheed-Ul-Islam, Munshi Khan, Advocate Tanzir Khatana, Advocate Pervaiz Choduhary, Sardar Khan and Advocate Zaffer Choudhary.