A section of beneficiaries of ‘One Family One Job’ scheme from different parts of Sikkim have demanded the department of Personnel to immediately withdraw its recent circular on OFOJ beneficiaries.
They have also demanded the immediately release of pending salaries of ‘One Family One Job’ employees, who have already started working under different departments since January this year.
On this two-point demand, a section of ‘One Family One Job’ beneficiaries staged a protest at Tashiling Secretariat premises in Gangtok on Monday.
On the occasion, a group of representatives of ‘One Family One Job’ beneficiaries met the commissioner-cum-secretary of DoP and submitted a two-point memorandum. They also interacted with the special secretary of the department on their issues.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, they mentioned that they have gathered from different parts of the State on these two demands. They mentioned that the first demand to the department was to immediately withdraw its recent circular which withheld and cancel the joining of ‘One Family One Job’ beneficiaries joined the duty after 08 March.
“As this circular has been mostly affecting around 9,000 youths falls under the second list of the scheme and such decision can put the future of youths in the dark,” they said.
Speaking on second demand, they mentioned that ‘One Family One Job’ employees who got their order on 12 January and immediately joined their duties in different departments have been working honestly and faithfully.
“But many of these employees have not received a single penny of their salaries so far. So our second demand is immediately release of pending salaries of these employees,” they demanded.
They also expressed their dissatisfaction on the interaction with the DoP officials. “Although we have a thorough discussion with the senior officials of the department but we have not come to any concrete decision as there is not dispatch register of the appointment orders with the department to check the facts,” they alleged.
They also clarified that this movement was not in the influence of any political party but all have came together just to ask their rights.
Responding to media queries on the issue, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) spokesperson, Jacob Khaling, who is also the Political secretary to the chief minister, mentioned that most of appointment orders under the ‘One Family One Job’ scheme were dispatched on February 21 last and some more of on March 5, but most of appointment orders were handed over only after the implementation of the model code of conduct in the State.
He alleged that even many appointment orders were reportedly distributed only after the formation of new government in the state by former Ministers and MLAs and panchayats of SDF party.