Asking it to be "magnanimous", the Supreme Court has directed Jammu and Kashmir government to pay House Rent Allowance and City Compensatory Allowance to over 3,500 Kashmiri Pandit government employees who fled the valley and settled in Jammu due to terrorist threats.
"Why can't you be magnanimous? After all they are your own employees. They have fled the place because of terrorist threats. You should be considerate," a bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Swatanter Kumar observed while dismissing an appeal filed by the state government.
The state had come on an appeal against the directions of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court which had directed the government to pay the HRA and CCA.
The said employees had fled the valley during the early 90s due to threats from militants and settled in parts of Jammu. Though they were being paid salaries, the employees were not given HRA and CCA allowance.
Aggrieved, the employees led by A K Sadhu and others moved the J-K High Court in 2001 challenging the Government Order which dis-entitled them to the HRA and CCA allowances. It was also contended that the government was extending the benefits selectively to some migrant Kashmiri Pandits in Home Department but was denying the same to the others. PTI
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