Restriction on employees over social media handling unfortunate, unacceptable: Rafiq Rather

Srinagar: Rafiq Rather former J&K EJAC (J&K Employees Joint Action Committee)and Additional Spokesman J&K Peoples Democratic Party (J&K PDP) has termed the recent government order regarding using of social media by employees, very fortunate and unacceptable
In a statement issue here on Saturday Rather said that snatching the right to freedom of expression despite adhering to the law and rules of the Government is very unfortunate and unacceptable . Expressing strong reservations over the order issued by the Government Rather said “It is already there in CSR that the government employees can’t criticize the policies of the government, however, issuance of this new order is contriving towards a very hostile circumstance which can attain further volatility if the order isn’t backtracked and the role of trade unions isn’t described”.
Terming the employees as the backbone of any Government, Rafique Rather advised the Government to review the order and stressed that persisting with the trend of issuing such orders will only encourage hostility and will also affect the work culture in Jammu and Kashmir. He even expressed concern over the act affecting the employees on very personal levels and said that it can even lead the employees into depressing psychic states. “Such orders serve as the insignias of difference of interest between the government and the employees, which is not in the best interest of the State. In addition to serving as a gaping hole in the communicative channel between the Employees and the Government, such orders directly dis-empower the employees and employee unions and will also contribute to a steep rise in corruption as this is a visible suppression of speech.” Rather added.
Expressing strong urgency for the trade unions across J&K to unite Rather also urged LG Manoj Sinha to taken into consideration also the fact J&K people have gone through very bad times, and employees in particular, have suffered immensely but despite all the difficulties the employees have continued to serve even through hostile situations and today, instead of encouraging their undying resilience, government tends to imposes certain unacceptable restrictions on working class. Reminding the government is cancelling job advertisements, one after the other, Rather said letting the job aspirants to hang out in the dry and at the same time laying policies which seem to be aimed at forcing the employees out of their posts.