Srinagar, June 1: A total number of 8200 volunteers in Jammu and Kashmir, engaged by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), an ancillary wing of Union Ministry of Youth Affairs after 2010 unrest are going to be disengaged shortly.
According to sources, the volunteers would be disengaged in two phases within next four months.  The government’s contention is that the volunteer arrangement was purely an interim measure for two years and they are helpless.
According to officials in Union Youth Affairs Ministry (UYAM) a total number of 20,000 volunteers were selected across India in 144 districts. “Of which 8200 volunteers were engaged and later deployed in J&K in 2010. Out of the 8200 volunteers, 7700 were kept at the disposal of various departments of the state government and the rest 500 volunteers were kept at the disposal of District Coordinators of Youth Affairs in J&K,” officials of UYAM said.
The volunteers according to officials were being paid an honorarium of Rs 2500 (Rupees two thousand five hundred only) per month (inclusive of TA) for their period of engagement, up to a maximum of two years (including the period of training of 4 weeks) for identified development activities. “The youth have to be disengaged after two years as they have given an affidavit at the time of their engagement,” the official said.
Though the scheme of engaging the youth as volunteers was started in India in 1977, but in J&K it was introduced in the aftermath of 2010 unrest in which around 120 people were killed in security forces’ firing. “They were engaged with the aim to keep the youth away from street protests and stone throwing,” sources said.
The youth were after their engagement deployed in the departments like the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Education, Social Welfare, Health, Tourism, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Rural Development and Yuva Kendras.
According to valley district coordinators of Ministry of Youth Affairs, they have been issued clear orders to disengage 8200 youth in two phases. “We are all set to disengage these 8200 youth in coming July and September months,” he said. “After that in October we have to advertise for the engagement of another new lot of youth and the person who has served one term would not be given another chance,” he added.
Surprisingly, one of the coordinators said that MLAs have started to step in. “At first instance the engagement of youth was made with the recommendations of MLA and now they want to provide these youth another chance,” he said and added that they were having reports during previous recruitment some youth have paid hefty sums to politicians for their recruitment as volunteers.
Minister for Health and Technical Education R S Chib told Greater Kashmir that engagement of these youth was purely for two years. “They have given affidavits for their two year job as volunteers,” he said adding that matter pertains to Union Youth Affairs Ministry. “If they want to regularize them or extend their engagement by some more months or years they can do. We have taken up the matter with them and we can’t do anything. We are helpless,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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