AMM hails scrapping of J&K's new recruitment policy

Awami Muttahida Mahaz (AMM), a group of various mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, today welcomed the scrapping of the new recruitment policy in the state, saying the government must chalk out a comprehensive vision document that benefits the state's youth.
"Though a delayed decision, but scraping of new recruitment policy is a welcome step. AMM has been opposed to this anti-youth policy from day one of its declaration.
"The policy was not only aimed at violation of the fundamental guarantees enshrined in the constitution but also defied the principal of equal pay for equal work," the group said in a statement here.

AMM said paying of meager salaries to the prospective employees for five years was "unreasonable and unjustified and even humiliating" to those competing for the jobs through recruiting agencies.
It further said that government initiatives for tackling unemployment problem through schemes like 'Himmayat', 'Udaan', 'Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY)' and Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) have failed to attract the youth of the state due to "inherent loopholes" in such schemes.
"Government must chalk out a comprehensive vision document for the long term solution of the problems faced by the youth in the state. In addition to the general problems, youth in our state have some specific difficulties which include non-availability of quality vocational education, suitable employment opportunities and denial of economic and social empowerment," the statement said.

Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday scrapped the much-criticised policy which was implemented two years ago. The recruitment policy was rolled back during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here.

According to the policy, new appointees for Class-III and Class-IV posts were paid fixed monthly salary equivalent to 50 per cent of the basic pay for the first two years.
For the next three years or during the remaining period out of a total five years, the employee was entitled to receive fixed salary of about 75 per cent of the basic pay.
The policy was widely criticised as daily wage labourers were earning more than what a new appointee in the government services.