Srinagar, August 13: PDP leader and MLA Waheed Para today strongly criticised the prolonged inaction over 928 SRO-43 cases and 1,279 RAS cases for compassionate appointments, which remain pending in the General Administration Department under the Chief Minister’s Office.
“These are not just files—they are the lived tragedies of families who have already lost their sole breadwinners. Each day of delay is another day of hopelessness for widows, orphans, and elderly parents who have no other means of survival,” Para said.
Under existing provisions, the Chief Minister has the full legal authority to relax rules and approve these cases in one stroke—just as the Lieutenant Governor recently exercised special powers to appoint hundreds of victims of terror. “If unelected administrators can act swiftly in such cases, why can’t an elected Chief Minister do the same for those who placed their trust in democratic institutions?” he asked.
Para warned that the continued delay not only deepens the suffering of vulnerable families but also erodes public faith in the authority of elected government. “When elected leaders allow unelected bureaucracy to dictate humanitarian decisions, the very spirit of representative democracy is weakened,” he noted.
He highlighted that most affected families lack political access, resources, or the ability to navigate a complicated bureaucracy. “The very purpose of compassionate appointments is to offer immediate dignity and stability—not to bury people’s futures under procedural excuses and endless scrutiny,” Para asserted.
Calling it both a moral and political responsibility, Para urged the Chief Minister to clear all pending cases immediately. “This is not about charity—it is about justice. These families have already paid the highest price. The least we can do is honour their sacrifice by ensuring they are not abandoned by the state.”
