*Reserve 100% jobs for locals: Harsh Dev
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 20: Seeking the reservation of all J&K jobs for the locals of erstwhile State, a strong contingent of NPP led by its chairman Harsh Dev Singh today held a protest in Jammu and torched the effigy of the BJP Govt.
The protestors raised slogans of “J&K Ke Berozgar Yuvaon Ke Saath Insaf Karo, Insaf Karo”, “Dohri Neeti Nahin Chalegi, Nahin Chalegi”, “BJP hai hai” and so on.
Referring to the statement of MP Chief Minister, Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan that all jobs in Madhya Pradesh would be reserved exclusively for residents of that State, Harsh Dev today questioned the BJP Government over its double standards with regard to employment avenues existing in J&K. He said that J&K as a State prior to August 5, 2019 enjoyed a similar status in the matter of Government jobs with exclusive rights available to the local youth in employment with a bar on outsiders to apply in J&K. He said that the BJP Government had assured that suitable provisions would be incorporation in the new laws introduced after abrogation of Article 370 for saving the jobs and lands of locals which however, it turned out to be a hyperbole.
He said that by virtue of new Domicile law, the Government had allowed thousands of outsiders belonging to Bihar, UP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttarakhand etc to participate in the selections process for all kinds of jobs available in J&K.
Pointing towards the assurances given by local and Central BJP leaders over job security to J&K youth, Singh said that opening of jobs to outsiders settled in J&K after the extension of new Domicile law had operated harshly against the local youth who were divested of their existing rights and privileges. He said that huge influx of outsiders in J&K and their participation in Government jobs would leave very little scope of absorption for locals in Government sector in the new UT.
This was evident from the fact that for 8575 Class-IV posts, there were more than 5.62 lakh applicants which included aspirants from several other states.
Seeking protection of jobs of J&K youth, Singh said that if special provisions for several other states including Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh etc. would be provided under Article 371 of the Constitution of India, it would be wholly unjustified to divest even the educated unemployed youth of their special rights while writing down Article 370.
Senioir members Rajesh Padgotra, Capt Anil Gour, Surinder Chouhan, RS Jamwal, Vinod Singh and others also spoke on the occasion.