NC legislator demands release of benefits for sacked govt employees

A National Conference legislator on Monday demanded release of pending benefits for employees who have been sacked by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha while invoking Article 311 of the Constitution over the last few years.

L-G Sinha has so far terminated over 70 government employees under Article 311 of the Constitution, which deals with ‘dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a State’.

NC MLA Bashir Ahmad Veeri on Monday raised the matter in the ongoing Budget session of the J&K Legislative Assembly.

He said in the past few years, several employees have been terminated and their families are facing a difficult situation as they have not been granted pensions, GF funds and gratuity.

Veeri called for disbursement of the dues stating that the issue should be treated on humanitarian grounds.

Last month, L-G Sinha ordered termination of the services of three employees after investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies accused them of terror links.

Subsequently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had questioned arbitrary dismissal of employees saying that “every accused person is innocent until proven guilty” in the court.

PDD chief Mehbooba Mufti had earlier said arbitrary and summary dismissals of government employees has become a regular occurrence since abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. She said the terminations continued unabated even after an elected government came to power, which had promised to put an end to such practices once in office.