Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 13: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here that the Government employees in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will get enormously benefited from the new arrangement, following the abrogation of Article 370 and declaration of Union Territory status.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a programme organized by “International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) – India” here, Dr Jitendra Singh said, most of the salary and other benefits available to the employees so far were in accordance with the rules determined by the State Government and also depending upon the financial capacity of the State Government. In the new arrangement, however, for example, benefits like Central Government Health Service (CGHS) Card to cover the medical expenses of all the family members will be available instead of the monthly Medical Allowance decided by the State government. Similarly, facilities like House Rent Allowance (HRA) will also be available at par with the Central / Union Government employees and the three yearly Leave Travel Concession (LTC) will also be available to all the employees, which was hitherto only granted by the discretion and feasibility of the State Government, he said.
As far the benefits of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC), Dr Jitendra Singh said, these will now be available to all the employees at every level and not confined to only certain categories / levels. There are also several other privileges, both financial and otherwise, which when available would make realize the difference between then and now, he added.
In Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, comprising around 125 lakh population, Dr Jitendra Singh said, a large majority is comprised of government employees and pensioners and therefore, the new arrangement is going to bring benefit to almost every third family or so in this region.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, which comprised of a large number of youth from Northeast, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Modi Government has always given priority to ensure equal opportunities for youth living in far-flung regions, be that the Northeast or Jammu & Kashmir. While a number of steps including Venture Fund for young Start-ups have been initiated by the Ministry of Northeast, as far Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the new dispensation will also ensure further equality of opportunities for the youth.
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