J-K govt changes salary terms for patwaris

The Jammu and Kashmir government today agreed to amend salary terms for revenue record keepers (patwaris) after they withdrew a 44-day-old strike over their demands.
The decision to remove pay anomalies was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet here chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, a day after the revenue officials called off the strike, an official spokesman said.
"The Cabinet approved unification in the pay scale of patwaris notionally with effect from December 15, 2005, and monetarily from February 22, 2008," the spokesman said.
The patwaris called off their strike yesterday on condition that the state government would address their demands at the meeting today.

The patwaris went on an indefinite strike last month demanding removal of pay anomalies, promotion of girdawars to naib tehsildars, ban on direct recruitment of naib tehsildars and renovation of patwarkhanas.
In another decision, the Cabinet decided to encourage expansion of degree-level engineering education facilities in the state, the spokesman said.
"Due to a construction boom in railways and the power sector, the demand for engineers will increase. At present, only 10 per cent of those applying for engineering courses in the state are accommodated.
"Therefore, more engineering colleges are required in the state," the spokesman said.