The Tragic story of 71 year old Taja Begum will certainly bring tears into your eyes and leave you in disgust against the officials of Education Department in particular and the Government in General who make tall claims of providing for one and all

Taja started working in 1982 as a daily wage sweeper in a Government Boys Primary School in Quimoh Belt of South Kashmir’s Kulgam District when she was 35 years old.

“I started working on a daily wage of 50 paise a month on 14 April, 1982 as a peon in the school and now after working in the school for more than 36 years, my daily allowance in 20 rupees a month,” Taja Begum told The Kashmiriyat.

Despite working for more than 36 years for the Government of Jammu Kashmir, the education department has failed to regularise Taja begum or even take care of her expenses.

“My Husband, my son all have died in this gap of 21 years, my back has bent, i have developed wrinkes, but the education department has done nothing for me, it has failed to regularize me,” she said.

Saja despite her old age still reaches the school on time, does all the work she had been asked to do 36 years back, but despite “performing her duties honestly” the Government has paid no heed to her genuine plea.

“Governments changed, Sheikh Abdullah to his grandson and then PDP and we have had Governor’s rule in Kashmir too, she has knocked at every door, everyone has failed to regularise one person, nobody has listened to her, even though everyone has made promises, but the promises turned out to be hollow,” her daughter said in conversation..