KP community appeals to CM for revocation of G.O. No. 34 JK DMRRR

Srinagar, Apr 20: In a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, prominent RTI and social activist Rakesh Handoo has voiced the deep concerns of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, particularly employees appointed under the Prime Minister’s Special Employment Package.
The community has appealed for the immediate revocation of Government Order No. 34 JK DMRRR, which they claim has undermined years of rehabilitation efforts, job security, and trust in the administration.
The order, issued recently by the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction (DMRRR), reclassifies the PM Package posts as “supernumerary”—a move widely criticised as regressive and discriminatory. According to the memorandum, this decision violates several previous assurances and legal commitments made by both state and central governments.
Among the cited references are key administrative decisions from 2009 to 2021, including GAD orders and Ministry of Home Affairs directives that explicitly guaranteed regularization and career progression for PM Package employees.
“This order contradicts the very essence of the PM Package, which was envisioned as a tool of rehabilitation for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community,” Handoo wrote. “Instead of integration, it now signals exclusion, pushing an already vulnerable group into greater insecurity.”
The memo warns that G.O. No. 34 has shattered the community’s trust, built painstakingly over the past decade, and threatens to undo the progress made in restoring normalcy for Pandits returning to the Valley.
Among the key concerns raised are the systemic segregation of PM Package employees from the regular workforce, denial of medical accommodations for disabled employees due to restricted transfer powers, and the misapplication of the Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS).
The memorandum argues that classifying these positions under RAS — typically reserved for compassionate appointments — is a grave misinterpretation of the original employment intent and unjustly diminishes the dignity of these employees.
Moreover, the exclusion of PM Package workers from SRO 43 protections, which secure employment for families of deceased employees, has caused widespread fear and frustration. Perhaps most damaging is the denial of pension benefits, since employees on supernumerary posts are deemed “temporary” and thus ineligible for retirement benefits, a move that effectively strips them of financial security after decades of public service.
In a passionate closing, Handoo writes, “At a time when integration and rehabilitation should have been strengthened, this draconian order has shattered trust.” He called upon the Chief Minister to uphold the legacy of justice and inclusiveness for which his leadership is known. The community seeks revocation of G.O. No. 34, reinstatement of regular service benefits, and equal treatment in cadre absorption and service rules.