Pandit youths to sit on chain hunger strike from Jan 28

Jammu, Jan 25: Lashing out at the state government for not filling up 1,562 government posts sanctioned by the Prime Minister, Kashmiri Pandit youths on Wednesday threatened to resort to a chain hunger strike here from January 28 if their demands were not met.

Over 300 displaced Kashmiri Pandit youths today held protests for being denied jobs under the PM's employment package.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave us an employment policy with all financial support and the state government is denying us. We have been running from pillar to post for implementation of the cabinet order for recruitment to the remaining 1,562 posts for the past one year," Sanjay Koul told reporters here today.

"After one year the state government has turned down the appointment of the youths already put in waiting list for recruitment to these remaining posts, which is totally discriminative," he said.

"We seek personal intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to ensure that the policy is implemented in letter and spirit," Koul said.

"State government cannot deny implementation of the PM's package for the displaced community. We are supporting their demands fully," All Party Migrant Coordination Committee Chairman Vinood Pandit said.

The PM had announced a special employment package of 3,000 posts for displaced Kashmiri migrants in 2007. While over 1,438 posts for the community were filled from 2007 onward by the state government, 1,562 are yet to be filled.

PTI