Srinagar, Aug 13:
PDP’s Member of the Legislative Assembly and senior leader Waheed Rehman Para has raised serious concern over the prolonged delay in clearing hundreds of compassionate appointment cases pending with the Jammu and Kashmir Government.
Para pointed out that 928 cases under SRO-43 and 1,279 cases under the Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS) remain unresolved in the General Administration Department (GAD), despite being eligible for processing. He said these files represent the “stories of families who have lost their sole breadwinner and are now left in an uncertain and desperate situation.”
Under the existing provisions, the Chief Minister has the authority to relax certain rules and approve such appointments. Para stressed that the precedent has already been set when the Office of the Lieutenant Governor recently used special powers to appoint hundreds of victims of terror.
“Every day of inaction prolongs the suffering of these families,” Para said, adding that this delay undermines the authority of the elected office and allows unelected bureaucrats to overshadow democratic institutions in J&K.
He noted that most of the affected families have neither the resources nor the influence to navigate the slow and complex bureaucratic system. “Compassionate appointments were meant to provide dignity and a means of survival, not to be buried under procedural delays and technical excuses,” he said.
Calling the matter urgent, Para urged the Chief Minister to use special powers to immediately clear all pending cases and deliver relief to the affected families.
