Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 11: Hundreds of land donors in Jammu and Kashmir, who surrendered their land for Government projects, are still waiting for employment despite multiple assurances over decades.
A land donor said, as per SRO 181 of 1988, one family member of affected landowners was entitled to a Government job if their landholding was reduced to 50% or less due to acquisition.
“However, this order was rescinded in 1991. Despite this, authorities continued engaging land donors informally, often without compensation,” he said.
In 2012, another land donor claimed, a circular from the PHE/I&FC Department directed officials to process cases of land donors for employment, but the files remained pending.
In 2017, the J&K Finance Department introduced SRO 520, stating that land donors who had given their land free of cost would be eligible for casual worker jobs, he said.
However, conditions such as a minimum donation of one kanal delayed the process, he claimed.
“Even after years of waiting, most affected individuals have not received employment. Many have aged out of eligibility, and their families continue to struggle. Despite a public appeal in Daily Excelsior in 2021, the issue remains unresolved,” the affected land donor said.
With the UT Assembly currently in session, the land donors urged legislators to address their long-pending demands and provide them with the promised employment.
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