Authorities mull posting non-Muslim employees at safe places

SRINAGAR — Following the killing of a migrant teacher, the School Education Department is mulling directing the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) of Kashmir division to post non-Muslim employees of the department at their desirous and safe places.

Sources in the department informed the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the “authorities have directed the CEOs to place non-Muslim employees at the places of their choice and safe zones.”

Official sources on Wednesday said that the Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to immediately post Kashmiri migrants, employed under the prime minister’s special package and other employees belonging to minority communities posted in Kashmir division in the secured locations in the Valley by June 6.

The sources said that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, which was attended by the administrative heads, and senior police officers.

The decision comes after a series of targeted killings of government employees belonging to a certain community by militants in Kashmir.

On Wednesday, news agency KNO reported that the Jammu and Kashmir government said that all the Kashmiri Pandit employees working under Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package (PMRP) and employees from other minority communities will be posted at secured locations by June 6.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole had said that all the PM Package employees and others from minority communities posted in the Kashmir division will be immediately posted at secured locations and the process to be completed by Monday (June 6, 2022).

Pole said that approximately 4500 migrant employees have been posted in District or Municipal Town areas. “In last week, around 500 employees, as per their request, transferred to the location as preferred by them, including around 100 employees’ couple,” he said.

“Other than migrant employees will be considered for posting at these places as per option by Saturday,” he said.

Pertinently, in the past few weeks, Kashmir has witnessed a series of attacks on non-Muslim employees posted here.