At a time when state government is giving excuse of financial crunch and declaring that 7th pay commission benefits will be given to state employees after two years, Youth National Conference here has questioned the major hike in the salary of Legislators.In a statement issued to KNS, Youth National Conference President of Jammu Province, Ajaz Jan said that in her yesterday’s statement, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti stated that state employees will be given the benefit of 7th pay commission after two years as state is in financial crunch.Terming this excuse as a confusing one, Jan has said that on one side state government is giving the excuse of financial crunch just few days after it announced a sudden and unexpected hike in the salary of legislators. "If there is financial crunch, than why government gave a hike in salary of Legislators” Jan said. Either stick on present statement and roll back the hike in the salary or give the benefit of 7th Pay Commission to state employees at the earliest, he added.
"Employees are the backbone of the government and they are the real government functionary at the gross root level and providing them basic benefits, including pay commission benefits, should be the priority of government rather than the salary of legislators.Meanwhile Ajaz Jan has also questioned the presence of ruling party leaders in the Iftar parties held for Orphan children in Rajouri and Poonch.He stated that yesterday evening, on the directions of Chief Minister, Iftar parties were held in Rajouri and Poonch which were led by CAPD Minister Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali and MLA Altaf Bukhari respectively but added that in Iftar Party held in Rajouri and Poonch, the number of Orphan children was at par with the PDP leaders who attended the party."Iftar for Orphans should have Orphans only and not the ruling party leaders from Rajouri and Poonch as it made it more a political Iftar party " Jan said. (KNS)