Retirement age may be raised in J&K
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 28 — The state government is said to be inclined to increase the retirement age of employees from 58 to 60 in case the existing cash crunch continued to affect the financial strength of the government.

Earlier, the state while implementing the fifth Pay Commission recommendations had refused to raise the retirement age on the plea that by doing so it would have more posts available for the unemployed educated youths. Despite the crash employment programme launched by the government by giving jobs to nearly 40,000 youths in the state during the past two years there are more than 1.60 lakh unemployed educated youths in Jammu and Kashmir. It is in this context that the Chief Minister had rejected the demand for increasing the retirement age.

Of late the state government is under pressure to enhance the retirement age because the cash crunch does not permit it to pay all post-retirement benefits to the employees. On an average 7,000 to 8,000 employees retire every year and each employee gets between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh as provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment and 10 years' commutation of the pension depending on the rank of the employee.

On an average the state government has to pay between Rs 200 and Rs 250 crore to over 7,000 employees who retire during the year. Reports indicate that more than 3,000 employees, who had retired during the past nine months, have yet to receive all post-retirement benefits. Their cases are still pending because of the cash crunch. In case of another 5,000 retired employees the post-retirement monetary benefits are being released in instalments depriving the employees from utilising the money as per their plan.

The government is said to have formed the opinion that by enhancing the retirement age by two years it could get the much-needed cooling period and by the passage of two years the financial position could ease. As a result of the cash crunch the state government has signalled the Subordinate Services Selection Board and the Public Service Commission to go slow with the recruitment of the youths for different posts. There are scores of vacancies of teacher in different colleges but the Public Service Commission has adopted delaying tactics in conducting the interviews. This has allowed senior government functionaries an opportunity to fill the vacant posts on ad hoc basis. The state needs over 700 doctors and more than 100 drivers. More than 100 doctors, who have passed MBBS, are unemployed.

At the same time there is a strong lobby within the National Conference that is opposed to enhancing the retirement age. It has opposed the plan on the plea that by increasing the retirement age job avenues in the state will get fully choked. The government is said to have decided to wait for another three months and in case the fiscal stringency not resolved it would have to take the painful decision of enhancing the retirement age of the employees.

Grenade blasts damage buildings
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 28 — While the security forces killed 11 militants, including 10 foreign mercenaries, in different operations in the state today, the insurgents carried out series of IED and grenade explosions in which two buildings were damaged.

Reports said militants blew up the tehsil education office building at Surankot in Poonch district and another group of insurgents barged into the residence of one Mohd Sharif in a village in Rajouri and gunned him down. At Thana Mandi militants caused an IED explosion in which one civilian was injured.

According to these reports, militants carried out series of IED and grenade blasts at four places in the Kashmir valley. In an encounter between the security forces and the insurgents eight foreign mercenaries were killed and large quantities of arms and ammunition, including eight assault rifles, 10 hand grenades and other explosives, were recovered in Kupwara sector. In another encounter in the Sumbal area of Srinagar district two foreign militants were killed.

The police bomb disposal squad defused one IED which had been planted near the house of former Union Minister of State for Home, Mr Maqbool Dar. Mr Dar's residence had been damaged a week ago in a blast in which two persons had been killed and 10 others injured.

Army sends Kashmir boys on tours
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Nov 28 — For the 40 young children from different remote areas of Kashmir valley who proceeded on planned excursions organised by the Army to Bombay and Punjab during this week, life may never be the same again. Their vistas widened and their quest for knowledge fulfilled, they will return in two weeks' time as mature boys.

Maj-Gen AS Sihota, Chief of Staff, HQ 15 Corps, who flagged off the two groups to Bombay and Punjab on Wednesday and Friday last, respectively, said that these excursions were organised by the Army to provide the youth of Kashmir an opportunity to widen their horizons and to acquaint them with the glorious history, rich and diverse cultural traditions and visit the historical places of the country.

Major Purojit Roy of Rashtriya Rifles who escorting the 12-member group of Bombay said the boys who came from all corners of the valley were going to Bombay as guests of the Indian Navy on an invitation from the Chief of Naval Staff. These boys who had never been out before and most of whom had never seen a train in their lives were now lucky to be guests on board the latest frigates and ships of the Indian Navy. All the young boys were eagerly looking forward to their stay with the Navy as well as nurturing a secret desire for a chance meeting with their favourite Bollywood stars while in Bombay.

The 28-member group which is scheduled to tour the Punjab state has a very attractive itinerary which includes a visit to Hussainiwalla border in Ferozepore where they will visit the "samadhi" of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on the banks of the Sutlej river. They will also visit the Golden Temple and Wagah border in Amritsar.

Karnail Singh Rana, a teacher of Government High School, Baramula, who is one of the three teachers accompanying the 28 boys, said that the boys were all excited about the trip.