Taking a significant step, the administrative council (AC) headed by Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday extended relief under the Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) 43 to the next of kin of non-J&K resident victims who were recently killed by terrorists in Kashmir.
SRO-43 provides for appointment on government job a member of the family of a government employee or a civilian who has died as a result of militancy-related violence. However, appointment under the rule was so far restricted for permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
An official spokesman said that the AC that met in Srinagar extended relief under SRO 43 to the next of kin of victims who were non-residents of Jammu and Kashmir having died in the recent violence in the Kashmir valley, as per the eligibility criteria of the SRO.
Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lt Governor were among those who attended the meeting.
Terrorists had recently in targeted killing gunned down four labourers and street vendors from Bihar and UP who had come to the valley in search of their livelihood. A street vendor, Arbind Kumar Sah, was killed by terrorists in the Eidgah area of Srinagar, a carpenter Sagir Ahmad of Saharanpur, UP was shot at point-blank in Pulwama, Raja Reshi Dev and Jogindar Reshi Dev, both residents of Bihar, were shot dead in the Kulgam district. Eleven civilians were killed in the recent terrorist violence in Kashmir.
Amendment of the SRO 43 would enable the Government to provide cash compensation to this category of militancy affected people, said the spokesman.
In another decision, the AC accorded approval for the creation of four courts of Additional District and Sessions Judges at district headquarters- one each in District Samba, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Poonch.
The AC also approved the creation of 40 new posts of different categories (10 each) at the new court complexes in the 4 selected districts.