Don't jeopardise career of students: Mehbooba to J

Srinagar, May 17 (UNI) PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today expressed grave concern over non-resumption of the academic session in new colleges due to paucity of staff and told the Jammu and Kashmir government not to jeopardise the career of thousands of students for want of teaching facilities.

In a statement here, she asked the state government to ensure smooth functioning of the newly-opened colleges by equipping them with adequate basic facilities, including staff.

Ms Mufti said the state government should not jeopardise the career of the students for want of teaching facilities.

Hundreds of vacancies of the college lecturers referred to the Public Service Commission were filled up permanently, the state government must make alternate arrangement of the teaching faculty in these colleges so that the students do not suffer, she added.

Referring to the sanctioning of ten new Degree Colleges for the state, the PDP chief said the new colleges must be opened in the most deserving areas and before doing so adequate infrastructure must be made available for the purpose.

She said the remote areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Banihal, Gurez, Tanghdar and Kishtwar should get their due share in new colleges.

Equally deserving were areas such as Uttrasoo (Anantnag), Magam (Budgam), Sumbal (Bandipora), Kokernag and Pulwama, Ms Mufti added.

She said Pulwama was the most deserving area for a separate Degree College for Women with the existing roll being 6000 students.

Drawing the attention toward the plight of contractual Junior Engineers, teachers, ISM trained medicos, Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, ad hoc and daily-rated employees, Ms Mufti said the government must address the genuine concerns of this large section of the society as the continuing job uncertainty has created unrest among them.

While making regular appointments, the state government must give some bonus marks to those appointees who were already working on contractual basis against the post so that they get a fair deal, the PDP chief added.

Ms Mufti asked the state government to regularise all the ad hoc employees by seeking one-time relaxation from the Supreme Court.

Most of the ad hoc employees have crossed the upper-age limit for the government service and deserve justice, she added.

The PDP president said with the massive expansion of the administrative infrastructure in various sectors, including the creation of new districts, there was a requirement of huge manpower to make these new units functional.

The government must identify vacancies in various departments, which must be now in thousands, and refer these to the recruiting agencies to be filled up in a time-bound manner, she added.

UNI