Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, May 6: Around 8,000 National Youth Corps (NYC) volunteers working as support staff in different Government departments today threatened to launch state-wide agitation and come on roads if the state Government did not extend their contracts beyond two years.
The volunteers have also taken strong exception to the recent Government directive asking Graduates among them to enroll under the ‘Udaan’ scheme launched by the Union Government for the skilled unemployed youth of the State.
Talking to Excelsior, Mudasir Hassan, State President, NYC Volunteers Association said that despite many verbal assurances the formal orders for extending their contracts have not been issued yet. He said the youth have been exploited by the State Government adding the Government wanted to create division among their ranks.
“We were appointed as support staff in the different Government departments, but as on date the NYC volunteers carry out most of the work in the Government departments. Logic and reasoning demanded a fair deal with us but that has not happened. The Government wanted to shunt us out but we are going to give them a tough fight,” said Mudasir.
He said that the State Government should issue formal orders for the extension of their contracts by June 2 adding that failure in this respect would force them to come on roads and lodge their protest. He said as the contracts are going to terminate phase wise by December this year a huge force of idle human resource would come up across the State.
“The contracts of NYC volunteers engaged in Srinagar district is expiring on June 3. The State Government should as such issue formal orders for the extension of contracts of these people. But as nothing has been done so far we fear the Government wanted to shut door on us. This is sheer discrimination and we will fight against it,” said Mudasir.
Tanveer Ahmad, another NYC volunteer said the Government has asked the graduate volunteers to fill up the form and register under ‘Udaan’ scheme. He said since the scheme is a private initiative there is no need for a youth to first work as NYC volunteer and then try his luck with this scheme.
“The Government wanted to create confusion among the ranks of NYC volunteers and it is due to this reason only they want us to fill up the forms of Udaan scheme. No volunteer should fill up this form so that a strong message is given to the Government that the youth didn’t want to be exploited,” said Tanveer.
The NYC volunteers said that Youth Services and Sports Minister, R. S Chib has on the floor of the house assured the members that their contracts would be extended beyond two years. They said that Chib reiterated this commitment some time back while attending a youth programme held here.
“The Government should come out clear on this issue and they should extend our contracts without any further delay. In case there is more delay we would be forced to launch an agitation and come on streets. State-wide protests would be held and the Government would be responsible for the consequences thereof,” said the NYC volunteers.
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