The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) retired employees Wednesday staged a protest demonstration against the administration for not releasing their pending dues.
The JKTDC retirees assembled at Press Enclave in Srinagar and demanded release of their withheld Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) arrears of more than 10 years.
“We have worked hard to make JKTDC a well-to-do corporation. We are the retired employees and since 2006, the COLA arrears have not been sanctioned in our favour. Some of us do not live with our children and we do not have any source of income to survive upon. We depended on the arrears that we had earned by our loyalty and hard work and yet we are forced to hit the streets at this age,” said Ghulam Mustafa Beigh, a retired JKTDC employee.
The retired employees said that they had to knock the door of the High Court and the corporation was directed to consider their genuine demand yet they were not being paid a penny despite facing hurdles and financial deficits.
“We appeal Lieutenant Gover Manoj Sinha to intervene into the matter and release our pending dues so that we do not suffer anymore,” they said.
Meanwhile, Managing Director JKTDC Nisar Ahmad Wani said that the arrears pertain to the year 2006-2009 and they had not been sanctioned yet to the corporation.
“The High Court has ordered to consider it. But releasing their COLA arrears depends on the availability of funds as the corporation is facing financial problems. The tourism sector witnessed major losses during the past two years and the partial Darbar Move due to COVID-19 pandemic became another hurdle,” he said.