Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 3: The issuance of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates to a ‘select’ group of Kashmiri Pandit youth settled in different parts of country has eaten the job prospects of youth of the community who had applied for posts of Sub-Inspector (Commercial Tax) and Assistant Compiler advertised under the Prime Minister’s package for Kashmiri Pandits.
Sources told Early Times that the EWS certificates have been issued to the youth who are well off and settled in cities like New Delhi and Bengaluru. While most of these youth are running their own business others are working in multi-national companies or other companies in the country. Despite all this they got the EWS certificate and
“One fails to understand how the certificates were issued since the candidates are based at New Delhi, Bengaluru and other cities with the issuing authority the revenue department based at Srinagar. The concerned revenue officials issued the certificates to these blue-eyed candidates without checking the facts and figures,” said sources.
Sources said that a youth belonging to EWS category got mere three marks in the written test conducted by Services Selection Board (SSB) and has been shortlisted for interview while a candidate in the open merit who got 80 marks has not been shortlisted. They said that in similar manner many other deserving candidates in open merit could not be shortlisted as the competition was very tough while it was a smooth ride for candidates having EWS certificate.
Sources said that there are scores of families who have never migrated to Jammu or any other place of the country, but still then are receiving the monthly relief from the government. The youth of these families have grabbed the posts meant for the youth who fall under the migrant quota. Kashmiri Pandit families and the KP organizations have demanded a probe in the matter so that the truth comes to the fore.
Under the package 350 posts of Sub-Inspector (Commercial Tax), 647 posts of Assistant Compiler (Department of Finance), 50 posts of Field Assistant III (Agriculture Production Department), 50 posts of Field Supervisor Mushroom (Agriculture Production Department), 50 posts of Assistant Store Keeper (Agriculture Production Department), 300 posts of Depot Assistant (Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department) and 550 posts of Class IV in Revenue department were advertised.
“The EWS certificates were issued after leaders of a national party called on the higher ups of the Department of Revenue and asked them to do the favours in this regard. It is a scam and needs to be probed by the top investigating agency. The EWS certificates should be issued for all Kashmiri Pandits who have migrated since they are on rolls of Relief Commissioner,” said sources.
Sources said that there are scores of families who have never migrated to Jammu or any other place of the country, but still then are receiving the monthly relief from the government. The youth of these families have grabbed the posts meant for the youth who fall under the migrant quota. Kashmiri Pandit families and the KP organizations have demanded a probe in the matter so that the truth comes to the fore. | 