Despite passage of two years, J&K School Education department has not called back around 50 lecturers from Ladakh Union Territory. The delay in the decision has left the lecturers in a state of despair, they said.
“Our families are in Kashmir and we are stuck in Ladakh. We are going through mental trauma,” said a lecturer, wishing not to be named.
Around 1,059 10+ 2 lecturers were appointed in the department in 2015 under SRO 202. Of them 50 were posted in Ladakh. Under the rules the appointees under SRO 202 cannot be transferred from their first posting for the first five years.
“Almost five years have passed since our positing in Ladakh. The department should now send us back to the Valley,” the lecturers said.
The aggrieved lecturers said they have made representation before the department number of times in the past, but to no avail. “Till date, no one in the department has paid heed to our genuine grievance. After J&K was reorganized as UT, we submitted our option form and opted for Kashmir to render our services, but still we are not being repatriated,” said a lecturer.
He said they were given verbal assurances from time to time for their repatriation but nothing happened on ground. “After our posting in Ladakh we were assured that after completing one year tenure we will be transferred as per Ladakh transfer policy,” said another lecturer.
After completion of one year, the lecturers said they approached the department seeking transfer following which the department in 2017 initiated the process for their transfer.
“An order was also issued under which the lecturers who have completed one year on Ladakh were asked to submit the details. Later Chief Education Officers, Leh and Kargil furnished the details In September 2018. But our file for repatriation is still lying with the education department at the civil secretariat,” the lecturer said.
He said they were running from pillar to post to get their file processed but to no avail. “We appeal to the J&K Lieutenant Governor, Advisor KK Sharma and Principal Secretary Education department Asgar Samoon to resolve our matter on humanitarian grounds,” the lecturers said. Advisor Sharma was not available for his comments on the issue.