J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

J&K may cut staff strength
JAMMU, Jan 30 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to appoint junior stenographers and class IV employees on a three-month contract basis to keep the civil secretariat functioning. Following the 41-day-long strike by the state employees, the government is toying with the idea of reducing the employees strength by 30 per cent in phases.

J&K Govt allowed to withdraw case against Azhar
JAMMU, Jan 30 — A local court has allowed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to withdraw a case against Pakistani militant Maulana Masood Azhar who was recently released from jail in exchange of hostages of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane.

J&K may cut staff strength
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 30 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to appoint junior stenographers and class IV employees on a three-month contract basis to keep the civil secretariat functioning. Following the 41-day-long strike by the state employees, the government is toying with the idea of reducing the employees strength by 30 per cent in phases.

Official sources said the Centre has expressed its inability to release funds for meeting the demands of the employees who have gone on strike in protest against the non-payment of two instalments of DA and arrears of the Fifth Pay Commission pay hike. The Centre has reminded the State Government that while implementing the Fifth Pay Commission report it was mandatory for it to reduce the staff strength by 30 per cent. Instead of doing it the Government has recruited over 1.18 lakh people during the past three years which had also contributed to the steep hike in the annual wage bill from Rs 1300 crore to Rs 2300 crore during the past three years.

According to the official sources, the decision to go in for fresh recruitment will not entail additional expenses because the newcomers would be on a three-month contract and each one getting a fixed salary. Also, each fresh recruitment will be followed by reduction in the existing staff strength, which can be done either by sacking the agitators or by forcing retirement on them.

The sources said if the experiment succeeded in the Civil Secretariat, it would be extended to different departments, especially to the hospitals, dispensaries and educational institutions.

However, critics of the State Government argue that the move to go in for fresh recruitment would open doors for corrupt practices because the bigwigs in the government and the ruling National conference would extort money from those who get the temporary jobs. They said this strategy was being adopted to convince the Centre that the State Government had started reducing the staff strength so that during the ensuing plan discussion the state could get additional funds for meeting the cost of the wage bill.

They alleged that the State Government was trying to mount pressure on the Centre to allocate additional funds under the non-Plan sector, which could help it to cover the yawning gap between the internal resources and the wage Bill.

In support of this allegation they said had the state Government been serious in resolving the crisis created by the employees strike the Chief Minister should have initiated himself a dialogue with the leaders of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC). He first left the matter to be resolved by the cabinet sub-committee and then to the divisional commissioner, Jammu.

Many in the National Conference agree that if the Chief Minister himself talked to the representatives of the EJAC there was every possibility of the strike being called off. A section of the Civil Secretariat employees have been found willing to resume work in case the Chief Minister himself discussed the matter with the EJAC leaders and give some assurances as far as acceptance of some major demands were concerned.

Indications are that the Chief Minister is quite angry with the attitude of the employees and as such he may opt for a confrontation instead of reconciliation for which he has no money.

J&K Govt allowed to withdraw
case against Azhar

JAMMU, Jan 30 (PTI) — A local court has allowed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to withdraw a case against Pakistani militant Maulana Masood Azhar who was recently released from jail in exchange of hostages of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, Mr Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal, yesterday granted permission to withdraw the case against Azhar, saying it is a well known secret that he along with two others were exchanged for release of 155 hostages on board the plane.

The court was satisfied that a decision to let Azhar off was taken by elected representatives of the people in public interest, Mr Jamwal said.

The CJM observed that only the public prosecutor is in charge of a case and has powers to commence an application for its withdrawal.

It is for the state to decide whether certain persons are to be prosecuted or not, he said.

Azhar was arrested in 1994 for terrorist activities in the state.

Prosecution’s application seeking withdrawal of the case was pending before the court of First Additional Munsiff Bala Jyoti since January 1, 2000.

Jyoti had asked the prosecution to satisfy it whether such a permission can be granted when the accused had already been let off.

The prosecution later approached the court of CJM in this connection.