New Delhi, 5 January 2025– Lt. Governor VK Saxena has approved age and educational relaxations for 88 victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots seeking employment under the Delhi government, according to Raj Niwas officials.
“All eligible applicants have been granted full relaxation in educational requirements, and the upper age limit has been extended to 55 years for their appointment as multi-tasking staff in various government departments,” the officials said Sunday.
This decision follows repeated appeals from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, public representatives, and groups of victims who recently met with the L-G, said an official note.
The approval is part of a larger rehabilitation effort stemming from a 2006 package sanctioned by the Union Home Ministry to aid riot victims. As part of this package, the Delhi government’s Revenue Department conducted a special drive in which 72 applications were received, with 22 already employed after securing age relaxations from the then L-G.
In October 2024, Saxena granted complete educational relaxations for the remaining 50 applicants and instructed the Revenue Department to consider the employment cases of victims’ children who had surpassed the employable age limit.
Last month, special camps were organized to invite new applications from riot victims’ families. Of the 199 applications received, 88 were deemed eligible but did not meet age or educational criteria until Saxena’s recent approval.
“This decision brings justice to those left behind in previous efforts and offers hope to victims and their families,” said a senior Delhi government official involved in the process.
The appointments aim to provide meaningful rehabilitation to riot survivors, addressing decades-long grievances and reinforcing the commitment to support those impacted by one of India’s darkest chapters.
