Srinagar: PAGD seeks safe working environment for Pandits

“The meeting was positive. We met him (Sinha). We had only one issue to discuss and that was of the Kashmiri pandits. We sought safe and secure working environment for the [Kashmiri] Pandit employees,” PAGD spokesperson Tarigami told The Indian Express.

On Saturday, a delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit employees posted in Valley met the PAGD leaders in Srinagar after which the alliance partners decided to meet Lt Governor Sinha to put forward their demands. After the killing of Rahul Bhat, a clerk in the revenue department by militants in Budgam district’s Chadoora on Thursday, the Kashmiri Pandit employees have been demanding posting at secure locations, with a few of them demanding posting out of the Valley.

Tarigami said that Lt Governor Sinha ruled out shifting of these employees to Jammu. “He said we can’t agree to this demand (transfer to Jammu). He said they have been appointed under the Prime Minister’s Package and there is no scope for that,” Tarigami said. “We told him to post them at suitable and secure places,” the PAGD spokesperson added.

The PAGD spokesperson said they also raised the issue of deteriorating law and order situation in the valley. “We told him (Sinha) that the level of confidence of people is coming down and that you need to look at the overall situation as the head of the administration. He agreed to it,” Tarigami said.

Earlier in the day, a BJP delagation led by J&K in charge Ravinder Raina also met LG Sinha at the Raj Bhawan.

“The [BJP] delegation expressed concerns over innocent’s killing, handed over a memorandum to the Lt Governor and appealed for the action on set of demands related to PM package employees,” said a press statement issued by Raj Bhawan. “The Lt Governor Manoj Sinha assured the delegation that the administration has taken necessary steps to ensure welfare and security of PM package employees and all concern will be addressed in a time-bound manner”.

While the official statement from Raj Bhawan mentioned about the meeting between LG and the BJP delegation, it remained silent on the meeting with PAGD leaders.