Six hundred retired employees of occupied Indian illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir Cements Limited are facing financial hardship after being denied their retirement benefits by the government, shedding light on the exploitation faced by people under foreign occupation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, these employees, who dedicated years of service to the organization, have been deprived of their retirement dues partially from 2006 to 2017 and entirely from 2018 onwards, under the pretext of the government’s decision to disinvest in the loss-making IIOJK Cements.
Despite persistent efforts and appeals for justice, the retirees remain in limbo, grappling with financial hardships and uncertainty.
Tragically, 120 out of the 600 retired employees, who devoted over 30 years of their lives to the organization, have passed away in recent years without receiving their retirement benefits. Their families are left to navigate dire financial circumstances, struggling to afford life-saving medications or even conduct the marriage ceremonies of their children.
Each retired employee carries an average liability ranging from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 90 lakh, with the government yet to take concrete steps to address their plight. Despite numerous meetings and representations to concerned authorities over the past three years, the retirees have been left disappointed, with their hopes for justice shattered.
Representatives of the JK Cements Retired Employees Association, Mohammed Yousf Butt and Kamal Handoo, express deep frustration over the lack of tangible progress in resolving the issue.
The Association urgently calls for the release of at least Rs. 25 crore from the disinvestment proceeds of JK Cements to alleviate the financial strain faced by retired employees.—KMS
