The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has taken strong exception to the alleged bungling in the selection of firemen and drivers in the Fire and Emergency Services department and sought an independent probe into matter, keeping the selection list on hold, till conclusion of enquiry. Reacting to the large scale reports in the media about serious allegations of bunglings including leakage of the paper, JKPCC said that the issue requires immediate intervention by the Lt Governor to order independent probe into the entire selection process and stern legal action as per law against all those behind playing with the careers of the meritorious youth. Chief spokesperson of JKPCC disclosed that the party highlighted these issues in a series of meetings of senior functionaries and office bearers including vice presidents, general secretaries, state secretaries, frontal wings and Councillors of Jammu today chaired by the JKPCC chief G A Mir to take stock of the current issues including the farmers’ legislations. The party said that the fairness, transparency, merit and capability should be the sole criteria and unless prompt action followed by exemplary punishment in time bound manner is given to those indulging in such illegal and unjust actions, the youths would not trust the credibility of any such selections in future. They said that all tall claims of fairness in the selections of all kinds under UT regime has been shaken by this selection list. Several selections were quashed in the recent past after bunglings. They said the BJP has no explanation why merit was ignored and there was regional imbalance and discrimination with the Jammu region under its regime and now why under its direct rule, the same injustice has occurred to the deserving and meritorious youth not only in this selection but also various other actions regarding selections. They alleged BJP failed in delivering to the promises made to the Jammuites on various fronts and even the people are dying for want of oxygen in view of the failures of the government to upgrade the facilities knowing fully the threat of covid, in main hospital of GMC Jammu and other associated hospitals besides all other hospitals in the province. The party said the BJP is answerable to the people, since it had the health and medical education portfolios during the previous coalition govt and now also the UT being direct under the Centre but the required upgradation and creation of proper facilities was ignored in the region leading to chaotic situations in the major hospitals. The meetings also expressed serious concern over failure of the govt to provide regular wages and consider the regularisation of daily wagers, need based and other such categories of workers despite repeated promises with them and demanded immediate fulfilling their genuine demands. Prominent among those who attended the meeting included Raman Bhalla, Mula Ram, Kanta Bhan, Ravinder Sharma, Rajnish Sharma, Balwan Singh, Manmohan Singh, Ch Shah Mohd, Yogesh Sawhney, Indu Pawar, Shiv Kumar Sharma and Uday Bhanu Chib (PYC).
