LG Sinha Provides Appointment Letters to 80 Families Affected by Violence

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday handed over appointment letters to 80 next of kin (NoKs) of terror victims at an official event in Jammu, marking the second such distribution after the Baramulla event where 40 families had earlier received appointments.

The beneficiaries belonged to families from Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, and Reasi. The move is part of the administration’s ongoing initiative to offer government jobs, financial support, and other assistance to families affected by terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking at the event, the Lieutenant Governor said the government was committed to justice and rehabilitation of terror victims. He said that for decades, families affected by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism were reduced to “mere statistics” and that their voices were silenced to protect the perpetrators and their supporters.

Sinha cited incidents including the 2001 killing of Tara Devi in Kishtwar, the 1998 murder of Gyan Devi and her infant son in Balgran, and the 2005 martyrdom of VDC member Ashfaq Ahmed in Doda. He said the new initiative marks the beginning of a “new era of justice” for terror-affected families in the region.

An internal web portal and centralised database of victim families has been launched to track applications and ensure timely processing of relief. Helplines have also been activated in all districts and at divisional levels for support and grievance redressal.

He announced that more appointment letters would be distributed on August 5 in Srinagar, and the process will continue until all victim families are covered. A mechanism is also being developed through the portal to provide self-employment assistance to eligible family members.

The LG also addressed the recent July 24 incident in Jammu, stating that an SIT has been constituted, a magisterial inquiry ordered, and two officials suspended. “Don’t touch the innocent and don’t spare the guilty” remains the administration’s policy, he said.

Sinha also congratulated the security forces and J&K Police for eliminating terrorists during a recent anti-terror operation in Srinagar.

Those present at the event included Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary Home Chandrakar Bharti, Commissioner Secretary GAD M Raju, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti, Deputy Commissioners, senior officials, elected DDC members, MLAs, and representatives of social organisations.