Listen to protesting forestry graduates without delay: Mehbooba Mufti to JK Govt

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to address the concerns of BSc Forestry students.

Taking to X, Mehbooba said that after 17 days of protests and 9 days on hunger strike, BSc Forestry students still await a response.

“J&K’s Forestry graduates are fighting for the rightful recognition of their BSc Forestry degree in Forest Dept recruitment. The J&K Government must review Forester & Range Officer eligibility criteria. Don’t ignore those trained to protect our forests. Listen to them without delay,” she said in the post.

On October 8, agriculture graduates in Jammu and Kashmir continued their peaceful protest for the 17th consecutive day, demanding the revocation of SRO-433 and SRO-442 governing recruitment in the Agriculture Production Department (APD).

The protesting graduates alleged that the recruitment policies have severely affected the filling of entry-level Gazetted and Non-Gazetted technical posts, resulting in limited recruitment opportunities for qualified agriculture professionals for nearly two decades.

The protesters are demanding fair and equal opportunities for eligible agriculture graduates and have called for vacant entry-level posts to be referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) through regular recruitment processes.