Congress OBC and SC Department Leaders Hold Meeting at Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.

JAMMU: A crucial meeting of senior leaders from the Congress Party’s OBC (Other Backward Classes) and SC (Scheduled Caste) Departments of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) was held at Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. The meeting was attended by several prominent leaders, including Madan Lal Chalotra, Chairman OBC Department J&K PCC; Shamshar Bhagat, Vice Chairman SC Department J&K PCC; Darshan Mehra, General Secretary OBC Department J&K PCC; Amit Mehra, State Coordinator OBC Department J&K PCC; Dewan Chand, Chairman SC Department District Jammu; Prem Sagar, Joint Coordinator OBC Department J&K PCC; along with senior Congress leaders Om Parkash and Janrail Singh.

The meeting was convened to deliberate on various socio-economic and developmental challenges confronting the OBC and SC communities in Jammu and Kashmir. The leaders collectively emphasized the urgent need for the government to address long-pending issues that directly affect the working class, unemployed youth, and marginalized sections of society.

Madan Lal Chalotra, in his address, strongly raised the issue of daily wagers and contractual employees who have been working in different departments for years without regularization. He demanded that these workers should be made permanent employees and granted the same rights as regular government staff, including pension benefits after retirement. He stated that ignoring their contribution while denying them job security and post-retirement benefits amounts to social injustice. Chalotra urged the government to implement a comprehensive policy to regularize all daily wagers and ensure dignified employment conditions for them.

Shamshar Bhagat, Vice Chairman of the SC Department, expressed serious concern over the high rate of youth unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that due to the limited presence of industries and the conflict-affected economy, young people, particularly from the SC and OBC communities, are struggling for sustainable livelihoods. Bhagat called for industrial expansion, vocational training, and reservation in private sector jobs to uplift the marginalized youth.

Darshan Mehra, General Secretary of the OBC Department, highlighted the issue of uneven access to quality education, especially in rural and conflict-prone areas. He pointed out that despite government schemes, the gap between rural and urban education remains wide. Mehra urged the administration to ensure better infrastructure, teacher availability, and equitable learning opportunities for every child, irrespective of their background.