No more remote area postings for Kashmiri Pandits

SRINAGAR — The Divisional Administration Kashmir has framed a new policy for the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) employees working under the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package (PMRP) that entails the same place of posting for the couples and no more remote area postings for the employees.

The administration is also working providing safe and secure accommodation to the employees.

Talking to news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) exclusively, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole said that in the wake of concerns expressed by the KP members, especially the employees working under PMRP following the killing of their colleague in Chadoora, Budgam, the administration has decided to place the couples at one place of posting. “It won’t be like husband will be in one district and wife in another. They will share the same place of posting,” he said.

The Divisional Commissioner said that no KP employee would be posted in a remote area where he or she can become a soft target for militants. “There will be no more remote area postings for KP employees irrespective of their gender,” he said.

Pole said that the administration was also working on providing safe and secure accommodations to KP employees across Kashmir. “It will be ensured that KPs feel safe and secure at the places they will be putting up,” he said, adding that other measures are also in the pipeline that will be accordingly taken.

The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir visited Vessu, Qazigund along with IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar and held a face and to face interaction with the protesting KPs.

The KPs are up in the arms for the past week against the killing of their colleague Rahul Bhat. Bhat was shot dead inside Tehsil office Chadoora, Budgam last week.

Bhat’s killing evoked massive protests and condemnations from the KP community and the civil society. The KPs had threatened to leave Valley en-mass if the administration fails to take concrete measures for their protection and safety.