*Seeks rehab of Centaur Hotel employees
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 29: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference today expressed dismay over the scraping of the Financial Account Assistant and JE selection lists, saying the decision has come as a body blow to hundreds of deserving candidates.
In a press statement party’s chief spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq said that the UT government’s decision to scrap the selection list is unfair and should have been taken only after taking into consideration the hard work of those who have qualified the said exams with honesty and dedication.
“While the investigation into the malpractices of the recruiting agency is a welcome step, but undue victimization of deserving selected candidates is unjustified. Why should the deserving candidates pay for the follies of a few mischievous elements? It is sheer injustice with hundreds of aspirants who have studied day and night and passed the exams,” he said adding, “Those who are found culpable should be punished but not at the cost of others.”
Demanding an immediate roll back of the decision, Tanvir said, “Having the entire selection process scrapped will dishearten, disappoint the educated youth of J&K. Here the future of hundreds of candidates is at stake for no fault of theirs. We condemn the move and demand immediate rollback of the decision.”
Coming out in support of the protesting Centaur Hotel employees, who were recently evicted after the J&K Government took over the possession of the hotel, Tanvir asked the government to transfer the evicted employees to other departments in the same manner as was done in case of the employees working in the department of Stationary and Office Supplies.
“This lopsided decision has had hundreds of employees stare in the dark. This measure has come as a bolt from blue to the employees who were assured by the government that their interests would be safeguarded following the govt’s take-over of the hotel. All those promises have unfortunately rang hollow,” he said.
“The decision to evict these employees was carried out with total disregard for the Labour laws and in contempt of the court directives. The Supreme Court, as well as the High Court, have directed that no adverse action should be taken against the petitioners. As per court order they cannot stop the dues of the employees, but they have stopped everything,” he added.