Fadnavis, Shinde direct PMC chief to give job to Pahalgam victim’s kin

Twenty six-year-old Asawari Jagdale had told The Indian Express that, “We are going through financial hardship since the main breadwinner of the family was killed by terrorists on April 22 last year. I had to give up my job in the private sector to be with my mother, who has been going through a tough time.”

Asawari had also said,“We are now being made to run from pillar to post for the government job assured by the state government….. there is no communication from anyone on any progress.”

The municipal commissioner added that Jagdale will be given a permanent job in PMC and it will be the post of a Class 2 officer.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde office on Monday issued a statement from his office that Pune civic chief had been directed to induct Pahalgam attack victim’s daughter into government service.

Shinde spoke to Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. Shinde holds the Urban Development portfolio and Pune Municipal Corporation comes under his jurisdiction.

Asawari was also contacted and enquiry was made about her educational qualification. Directions were given to induct her into the service which is in sync with her appropriate education qualification, it said.

“The government is sensitive to the issue and should induct Asawari into government service on compassionate grounds at the earliest,” Shinde said.

Asawari’s father, Santosh Jagdale, was one of 26 persons who died when terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadows on April 22 last year.

Following the massacre, the state government had announced Rs 50 lakh in financial aid to the families of the six victims from Maharashtra and government employment to their next of kin.

On Monday evening, Asawari said she had got a call from the PMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner enquiry about her educational qualification and present employment status. “I told the PMC officer I am not working anywhere at present. Also shared my details orally,” she told The Indian Express.

Jagdale said the PMC officer first asked whether she would be ready for a temporary job on any lower post. “I conveyed that any temporary post will not be done as it would be on contract. He said he will get back to me later,” she said.

Asawari thanked the Indian Express for taking up her concern. “I will believe only when I get written communication from PMC or the state government. I thank the media for the present action of the state government or it would not have happened,” said Jagdale.

She had last week expressed disappointment over the prolonged delay in the state fulfilling its assurance of providing her with a job. Jagdale, after her efforts in vain to reach out to the chief minister and other political leaders in office, had approached BJP RAJYA Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni to take her issue to the union government. Kulkarni on Friday had met Union Home minister Amit Shah praising him for the situation of Jagdale family and the state government delay on fulfilling assurance of government jobs.

On Monday, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule urged the state government that it should at least be sensitive towards the victim’s family and immediately give her a job as promised.

“Santosh Jagdale, a resident of Pune, had lost his life in the Pahalgam attack. Soon after, it was announced that his daughter would be given a government job. The Chief Minister was favourable towards this. Yet, it is regrettably astonishing that Asawari has still not received the job,” said Sule in a tweet on Monday.

“My humble request to the government is to immediately take note of Asawari’s job proposal. This government can certainly demonstrate at least this much sensitivity towards families who lost loved ones in the Pahalgam attack,” Sule added.