Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 13: The revocation of Article 370 was a bolt from blue for over 200 employees and officials of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council (LC) as they have feared for their future as according to the new legislation for the state, LC will not exist.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir will be a Union Territory with Legislative Assembly but there is no reference to the Upper House of the Legislature. If go by the New Delhi's model of governance, there will be only lower house of the legislature barring the Legislative Council.
At present the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council has over 200 employees and officials working at various positions including Joint Secretary, Additional Secretaries, Readers, Editors, Translators, and Reporters for various languages to cover the proceedings of the house, Watch and Ward staff beside others. "The recruitment of the employees and officials were also made by the Legislative Council itself and they are considered as employees of the Council", sources said.
After the announcement by Home Ministry regarding revocation of some provisions of Article-370, the employees and officials have been living fear over the uncertainty for their jobs and future. "Whether the Union Territory administration will fire all these employees or voluntarily retire them all or adjust them into some other government departments or Legislative Assembly?", the officials questioned adding that the employees and officials of LC have a specific job profiles, which was unmatched with other government departments' requirements except Legislative Assembly.
Moreover allegations were also leveled against the recruitment of the employees and officials of Legislative Council, who were allegedly considered close ones of Ministers, bureaucrats, politicians and Chairman of the Council or the relatives of the officials of LC. "Whether Union government will take call and enquire the whole matter before taking any decision about their fate", officials said. |
