Institutionalizing support to terror victim families will expedite process of providing relief: LG Sinha

Launches dedicated web portal for terror victim families

Srinagar, Jul 22 (KNO): Stating that institutionalizing support to terror victim families will streamline and expedite the process of providing relief, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday launched a dedicated portal for the NOKs of victims in Jammu Kashmir.

Talking to reporters after dedicating the portal, LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “The initiative will streamline and expedite the process of providing relief, compassionate appointments, and other forms of assistance to those who have suffered from terrorism in the UT.”

The web portal, developed by the Home Department in collaboration with NIC, according to the officials will serve as a centralized platform to capture and maintain comprehensive district-wise data on Terrorism-affected families. The details of any encroachments on the property of the victims or their NOKs are also being captured.

“It will ensure that no legitimate case is left unaddressed and timely support is extended to eligible families in terms of financial relief, ex-gratia compensation and compassionate employment while ensuring elimination of any bogus or multiple claims,” said an official.

He said the Lieutenant Governor is personally monitoring and overseeing the redressal of all cases across the UT of J&K.

A toll- free helpline numbers have also been established at the offices of the Divisional Commissioners in both Jammu (0191-2478995) and Kashmir (0194-2487777) divisions, to facilitate the registration of any overlooked or pending claims.

These helplines are being attended through dedicated control rooms as citizen interfaces for receiving grievances or queries related to pending government support to terror affected families viz. compensation, Ex- gratia relief and Compassionate appointments.

The helplines have been staffed with trained personnel and will be integrated with the centralized application to ensure that every claim is formally recorded and acted upon.

In order to ensure regular oversight, coordination, and follow-up on the grievances and pending claims, Special Monitoring Cells have been constituted in the offices of Chief Secretary and Director General of Police.

These Special Cells will periodically review the status of pending and resolved cases, analyze delays or bottlenecks in processing, and coordinate with relevant departments to ensure timely and just resolution of claims.

The inaugural ceremony of the web portal was attended by Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Nalin Prabhat, DGP; Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary, Home Department; Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor; M Raju, Commissioner Secretary, GAD; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; VK Birdi, IGP Kashmir; Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu and S. Jaskaran Singh Modi, SIO, NIC were present, in person and through virtual mode—(KNO)

65-Year-Old Man Injured in Gas Cylinder Blast in Chadoora

Budgam, July 22 (JKNS): A man sustained serious burn injuries after a cooking gas cylinder exploded at his residence in Badipora, Chadoora area of Budgam district.

Officials told news agency JKNS that the injured has been identified as Ghulam Hassan Magray, son of Ghulam Ahmad Magray, aged about 65 years and a resident of Badipora, Chadoora.

Soon after the blast, family members rushed the injured to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Nagam for treatment. However, doctors at SDH referred him to SMHS Hospital Srinagar for advanced care, officials said.

Further investigation into the incident is underway. (JKNS)

Fake Complaints Haunt Govt Employees, Despite CVC, Govt Orders for No Action on Fraud Complaints

J&K Govt, CVC previous orders cite action against false allegations; employees demand safeguards

Srinagar, July 22 (JKNS): A growing number of government employees in Jammu & Kashmir say they are being harassed by anonymous or fake complaints made via unverified emails, SMS, and social media handles, even after such complaints are found to be baseless during verification.

Details available with news agency JKNS revealed that many government employees get harassed after departments act on complaints that are fake in nature.

“I was dragged into a three-week-long inquiry over a fake complaint from an unknown email ID. Though I was cleared, the damage to my dignity was already done,” said a government employee posted in a rural block of central Kashmir.

The harassment continues despite repeated directives from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the J&K Government instructing departments not to act on such complaints without verification. In its Circular No. 07/11/2014, reaffirmed by Circular No. 12/09/2020, the CVC clearly stated that no action should be taken on anonymous or pseudonymous complaints.

Another employee from Srinagar said, “They often create fake email IDs, file false complaints, and then delete those addresses. The government must take strict action against such fake complaints by verifying the identity of these email senders through cyber police.”

Likewise, the J&K Government’s June 2024 directive, issued by the General Administration Department, directed that false and frivolous complaints must be dealt with sternly, even allowing prosecution under Section 182 IPC or civil suits for damages.

“They send false complaints from temporary numbers or fake IDs and disappear,” said another government employee in South Kashmir’s Anantnag, “Even when the complaint is found to be fake, we are still made to go through stressful verification rounds.”

Employees posted in revenue, health, education, and rural development departments say the fear of being framed in false complaints has slowed down decision-making. “I held a revenue file for 10 extra days because the last time, I was falsely accused after issuing a certificate,” said a senior government official from north Kashmir.

The June 2024 government order also called for support mechanisms for employees facing such complaints, including the right to seek compensation for defamation and legal support from the Department of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs.

Many government employees say there should be a centralised filtering system to screen complaints before any action is initiated. “We are not against genuine whistleblowing but these fake email IDs and SMS attacks are just tools of vengeance,” said a head clerk in Pulwama. “There must be a mechanism to verify source authenticity first.”

“We support transparency, but not witch-hunting,” another employee said, adding that the threat of anonymous targeting has created a climate of hesitation and mistrust.

Another employee poated in one of the government department in Budgam said, “I was accused through a fake SMS with no sender ID. Though the complaint was dismissed after verification, I was made to attend multiple inquiry rounds. It felt like punishment for doing my job. ”

The employees say unless the existing orders from the CVC and the UT Government are implemented in both letter and spirit, the menace of false complaints will continue to choke administrative delivery and morale on the ground. (JKNS)