Retired JKTDC employees seek release of retirement benefits
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Oct 5: The causal labourers of Tourism Department Monday staged a protest here at Press Enclave Srinagar demanding the release of their pending wages and regularization.
The protesting Casual Labourers said that they have not been paid since July 2014 despite serving the department like permanent employees.
President, Kashmir Tourism Department Casual Labours Union Qaisar Bhat said they are facing a financial crisis on a daily basis as their wages are pending in the department since 2014.
“All our requests have gone to deaf ears. Even Director Tourism ignored us and showed least interest in releasing our wages,” he said.
The casual Labours said that the government should implement the Minimum Wages Act policy across Jammu and Kashmir and all the Casual Labours will get benefit through this policy. The protestors said that an order directing the release of wages was issued on October 24, 2018, and another order was again released on January 1, 2019, but no action was taken.
They sought the intervention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Meanwhile, several former employees of J&K Tourism Development Corporation Monday appealed authorities to release their pending retirement benefits as said employees are facing manifold hardships while feeding their families in pandemic situation.
Former employees who were superannuated in January 2020 said they are yet to get the benefits of retirement like leave salary, DA arrears and 6th/7th pay commission arrears despite get retired from eight months back. They alleged that despite repeated communications and representations to concern authorities, nothing was done so far.
“We have retired from active service since January 2020 but unfortunately till date the management of JKTDC has released only our gratuity,” a group of retired employees said.
They said rest of retirement benefits including leave salary, DA arrears and 6th/7th pay commission arrears are still pending for release.
They appealed the government to intervene into the matter and ensure their pending retirement benefits to be released without any further delay.
Director Tourism Nisar Ahmad Wani said the department is currently witnessing financial crunch due to unavoidable circumstances.
He said department being a corporation, can’t get funds without “fund generation”. “Once tourism activities across will resume, the pending dues of the retiree employee would be released”. (KNT + KNS)