Last Updated on April 7, 2021 at 2:10 pm
As J&K Cooperative Supply & Marketing Federation (JAKFED) was suspended in June 2019, the government has not taken any step for safeguarding future of its employees yet. Sources told that employees of JAKFED are requesting authorities to assist them. The government has not done anything on their requests in the past two years.
As the organization was winded up, around 200 employees out of 350 have retired, 90 were posted in different Government departments by General Administration Department (GAD) and 60 employees are still working in federation. Sources said that it is not known exactly how 60 of these employees are still being looked after by JAKFED establishment.
200 employees who have been retired by now have not been provided retirement benefits by the government. 15 such employees have taken their last breathes and their families are demanding retirement benefits. The government was directed to send Rs 25 crore for such employees but it has not taken any such step.
Moreover, there were allegations of a scam in which Contributory Provident Fund (CPF) was deducted from salary of the employees but it was not deposited in the concerned Department from 2002 till now. The government didn’t take any action against responsible officials in this scam. Former Minister of Cooperatives, Chering Dorjay had also demanded a CBI investigation into JAKFED scam in 2015.
Sources said that the Government treated their employees unequally. Those officials who were deputed in J&K Special Tribunal were provided benefits of the 7th Pay Commission whereas employees posted in federation, retirees and those deputed in other departments were not given these benefits. A major problem these employees face is that those who are in service have been deprived of their salaries since September 2019 and it has taken a hit at their financial status.
Shabir Ahmed Raja, representative of JAKFED Employees Union said that employees are in a deep trouble as many of them are not able to pay their bank loans, electricity and water bills and school fee of their children. He also mentioned that retirees were not given gratuity, Provident Fund and Leave Salary while Seventh Pay Commission benefits were only given to some selected officials.
Asif Hamid Khan, Registrar Cooperatives said that the administration deeply cares about their employees. He has also requested the Government to settle this issue as soon as possible.
