Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Unemployed engineers of Self Help Groups held strong protests at various places including Kishtwar, Doda, Poonch, Ramban, Udhampur, Samba, Shopian, Pulwama, Kupwara, Bandipora and other places against the J&K UT Administration while NPP and some social organizations demanded immediate roll back on the decision to abolish these groups and their 30 % quota of contract works.
A large number of engineers of SHGs assembled outside District Employment office Kishtwar today and held protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans against the J&K Administration. They said that this order of the Govt to abolish SHGs has sent shock waves among the engineers connected with the SHGs and their families. The Lt Governor must intervene immediately and roll back the ill-conceived decision.
In Udhampur also, protest was held outside DC office. The self-employed engineers were shouting slogans against the J&K Administration for anti-youth decision. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner for Lt Governor. Protests were also held at Samba, Doda and Poonch. Reports of similar protests were received from various parts of Kashmir.
In Srinagar, the SHG engineers led by Union president, Sayed Parvez decided to move towards Raj Bhawan to lodge their protest but the police foiled their programme and Parvez was put under house arrest.
Meanwhile, lambasting the J&K administration for abolishing scheme of SHGs which has rendered 15000 engineers jobless all across UT, NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said that the sinister move of the Government had further aggravated the fury of enraged youth of J&K. He said that ‘Self Help Group of Engineers Scheme’ which has been disbanded by the J&K Government was the sole bread and butter for the unemployed engineers of the UT. Elucidating the role of the SHGES scheme, Singh divulged that 30% of the works in government departments, corporations and autonomous bodies were reserved for SHGs of unemployed engineers to provide them financial succour.
“Being the trained technocrats from the reputed varsities, they have proved themselves efficient in executing the works allotted to them. It is really shocking that the Government had taken this anti-youth decision just after six months when the Labour & Employment department assured the engineers that it was modifying the scheme guidelines to make them more progressive so as to enable the SHGs to take up bigger projects. This draconian decision is a glaring example of betrayal with the qualified technocrats. Why the BJP leaders have undergone hibernation now?” Harsh asked.
Seeking immediate roll back on decision, Singh rued that the Government instead of providing employment avenues to the youth of J&K , seemed hell bent to deprive the young fraternity of their jobs. He said LG should immediately intervene and revoke the order.
Founder and president Jammu Kashmir People’s Parliament Adv Sayed Waseem Ul Hassan expressed strong resentment over the decision of Jammu and Kashmir Government to end the quota for tendering process that was reserved for Self Help Groups. He said when thousands of youth having engineering degrees and qualifications are waiting to get employment, a special quota for self help groups was reserved which was proving highly beneficial but now the entire section is being hurt by ill-conceived decision of the Government.
Waseem strongly condemned the anti-youth move of the J&K Govt and demanded that Govt must revoke its controversial order issued without applying mind. He informed that nearly 15000 unemployed engineer’s will be affected with this decision. Inspite of providing jobs to the trained engineers, the J&K UT Government is focusing to snatch their livelihood. This decision has sparked huge resentment throughout the region, he regretted.
Dogra Youth Front and All J&K Sikhs Students Federation has also demanded immediate roll back on the decision of the Government with regard to abolish SHGs of engineers and their work quota.
Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum Abdul Qayoom Wani has criticized Government’s move to abolish the decision to reserve a ratio of construction projects for Self Help Groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
He has said that move of decrying the decision to merge engineering wings of various Government departments into only PWD and Jal Shakti Department will create a mess in the whole system of work culture.
In a statement, JKCSF Chairman Abdul Qayoom Wani said that the decision to do away with the system in vogue to reserve a ratio of construction projects for unemployed engineering’s under SHG was a well oriented and farsighted decision based on the objectives of jobs to unemployed engineering graduates and it’s absence would deprive thousands of educated youth engaged in construction activities of their livelihood.
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