UNDEREMPLOYMENT IS DEADLIER THAN UNEMPLOYMENT AND DISEMPOWERMENT
A young woman of Srinagar completed two post-graduations and Ph D in Forestry. During the government of
@OmarAbdullah 12-13 years ago, about a dozen posts of Technical Assistants were advertised in Forest Department. As per a Government Order, a high level committee headed by PCCF, who was 6 levels above the pay grade of Chairman SSB and equal to Chief Secretary, was constituted for selection of the candidates strictly as per merit. For two years of the fully transparent selection process, these vacancies were advertised, not once but twice, through the largest circulated newspapers of Srinagar and Jammu. Like others, this candidate was appointed on contractual/need basis for a monthly salary of ₹12,000 which was later enhanced to ₹20,000. Without any annual increment, she is being paid ₹20k a month since 2018. On the other hand, her 8th pass Class-4 subordinate peons and chowkidars in regular service are taking home ₹40,000 and above. Her project has an unspent money in hundreds of crores and her counterparts in the same project outside J&K are paid ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 a month. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Forest Minister Javed Rana need to discuss such chronic injustices with the Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and take a call for regularisation of such under-employed contractual staff who are performing better than their superior lot in the regular service.