Kashmiri Pandit employees demand release of their pending salaries and relocation to Jammu

Jammu: Kashmiri Pandit employees protesting over pending salaries and relocation to Jammu staged an overnight sit-in outside the BJP office here and refused to budge till their demands are met.

The Kashmiri Pandit employees have been on protest for the past 287 days after their colleagues were killed by terrorists in the valley.

They have alleged that while terrorists are out to target and kill them in Kashmir, LG administration is starving their families by stopping salaries for the past 8 months, and not releasing it even on their biggest festival Maha Shivratri.

"We have been on round the clock protest in front of the BJP office here. We are seeking release of months-long salaries. We will not move out from here till the order to release our salaries is given," a protesting employee Ashwani Pandita told reporters here.

"Even on Maha Shivratri, we are denied our salaries," he said.

The Kashmiri Pandit employees are seeking written assurance from the Lieutenant Governor administration about their safety and security during their duty in Kashmir.

A female protester who is sitting on protest with her minor child said that LG administration is starving their families by stopping salaries.

"LG administration should give us written assurance about our safety and security that we won't be killed by terrorists while performing our duties in Kashmir", she said.

The employees said that they were performing their duties boldly for the past decade in Kashmir despite militancy and did not run away.

"But the selective and targeted killings of nearly 22 minority community members have created fear psychosis among the community. They do not want to become sitting ducks for target practice of terrorists in valley. Government has done nothing to stop it", Pandita said.