SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir administration has dismissed 55 government employees from service for promoting terrorism in the Union territory, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha has said.
The employees’ services have been terminated by the administration after the special status of J&K was revoked in 2019 and a special task force to identify such employees was formed in 2021. Sinha said that the administration was not ready to give money to people helping militancy in the Union territory.
“Around 55 government employees and workers have been sacked who promoted terrorism. The process will continue till the time action is taken against these types of people who have helped promote terrorism,” Sinha said during a cultural function, Shikara Fest, in Delhi late on Saturday.
“No government can afford to give money to such people. This work will continue in the coming days as well,” he said.
Following the revocation of J&K’s special status in 2019 and its bifurcation into two Union territories, Jammu ans Kashmir and Ladakh, the administration has been dismissing government employees under Article 311(2) (c) of the Constitution. This provision gives the government the power to sack employees without an inquiry if “the President or the governor is satisfied that in the interest of the security of the state, it is not expedient to hold such inquiry”.
The government formed a special task force in April 21, 2021, to identify and scrutinise the cases of employees allegedly involved in any case related to posing a “threat to the country’s security or anti-national activities”. Since then, many high profile or those persons holding important government positions have been dismissed.
In August, the authorities dismissed the services of the chief manager of the J&K bank, accusing him of having “links with the terror ecosystem”.
In July, the administration terminated the services of three government employees, including the public relations officer of Kashmir University, for alleged anti-national activities under Article 311 of the Constitution.
Among the other people who have been sacked are a chemistry professor, sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and a deputy superintendent in J&K prisons department.
The terminations have been criticised by trade union and political leaders. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has called these actions ”arbitrary” and aimed “at frightening Kashmiris into submission”.
Sinha added that stone pelting has become history in J&K.
“Now, there is no bandh call by Pakistan or its front-runners. The schools, colleges, trade and business are functioning normally by the wishes of the people of J&K. The people are living on their own terms and there is no dictation from anybody,” he said.–(Hindustan Times)
