Srinagar, Aug 13:
As per an official reply in the ongoing J&K Legislative Assembly session, 928 cases under SRO-43 of 1994 and 1,279 cases under the Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme (RAS) are still pending as of March 1, 2025, in various administrative departments of Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP leader Waheed Ur Rehman Para has strongly criticised the delay, stating that these files represent the lives of families who have lost their sole breadwinners and now face severe financial distress. He pointed out that under existing provisions, the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, has the authority to relax rules and clear these pending cases, much like the Lieutenant Governor’s office recently exercised special powers to appoint hundreds of victims of terror.
“Every day of inaction prolongs the suffering of these families and allows unelected bureaucrats to overshadow J&K’s democratic institutions,” Para said, adding that the delays rob families of dignity and survival that compassionate appointments are meant to ensure.
In 2024, the government approved 1,116 SRO-43 cases, but the process for finalising the rest remains ongoing. All 1,279 RAS cases have been forwarded to the concerned departments for disposal, yet the wait continues for hundreds of bereaved families.