Thakur demands issuing of salaries of VDCs at the earliest.
It is very unfortunate that VDC members are without remuneration since more than two years: Adv. Joginder Thakur
Jammu, Oct 20, 2020
Village Defence Committees (VDCs), which serve as ”security arch” to defend remote and hilly villages against terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir are not getting their salaries since last two years. Before 2018 they were being paid the salaries, but they are not being paid anything. Advocate Joginder Singh Thakur said that VDCs are providing security to the villages of J&K from the militants and have helped security forces in dealing with the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir since 1990s, but it is very unfortunate that they are not being paid for their work.
Thakur also mentioned that the VDC members belong to various hilly parts of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri districts. He urged the Lieutenant Governor Sh. Manoj Sinha to intervene into the matter and get the salaries of these poor members issued as soon as possible.
VDC members are generally poor and their VDC remuneration is their only source of income. They can not go outside their villages for doing work as they hold the responsibility of the security of respective villages. Joginder Thakur also mentioned that now as winters are coming, VDC members in far flung villages such as Dessa in district Doda will have to get the ration ready as during winters the area is covered with snow. In this situation, if they get their pending salaries, it will be really great thing and they can get the support for their families. It is worthwhile to mention that Dessa is a far-flung area in District Doda and only source of income of the villagers residing there is the VDC remuneration. As already mentioned, they cannot go outside the villages for work because of the security of the area. They have survived these two years with sheer difficulty and this year being worse from crops and in general, if the VDC members get the salaries, it will help them in surviving the upcoming winters.
It is pertinent to mention here that there are five members in a VDC and two of its members, which are called SPOs, are getting wages at the rate of Rs 18,000 per month, but the VDC component of VDCs is not being given any salary since last two years. It is requested to the LG administration to intervene and issue immediate grant of our salaries, which have not been released to since couple of years now. While wages of SPOs have been increased to Rs 18,000 from Rs 5,000, the wages of VDC members have been withheld and this is very unfortunate.
As many as 4,125 VDCs exist in J and K and their work is to ensure safety and security of the identified villages along the borders as well as in interior areas and infrastructural installations in and around them. The VDCs were set up in the mid-1990s with an aim to strengthen the security of those living in remote and mountainous areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramba, Rajouri, Reasi, Kathua and Poonch districts.
