Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday distributed appointment letters to 47 survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

According to a statement, six additional appointment letters will be issued to successors of beneficiaries who have exceeded the age of service.

Speaking at an event to distribute the letters at the Tilak Vihar area of west Delhi, Mr Saxena announced that 437 pending applications for appointments are under verification. The revenue department will hold special camps to complete the formalities, he said.

1984 सिख विरोधी दंगों का दंश झेल रहे 47 पीड़ितों को, भर्ती योग्यता में छूट देने के बाद, आज नियुक्ति प्रस्ताव पत्र वितरित किए। साथ ही संबंधित विभाग को 437 अन्य आवेदनों के सत्यापन को जल्द से जल्द पूरा कर उन्हें नियुक्ति प्रस्ताव पत्र देने का आदेश दिया।

इन परिवारों के लिए यह केवल… pic.twitter.com/OouZInkpfK

— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) November 21, 2024

Mr Saxena also directed officials to rename the ‘Widows’ Colony’ — which primarily houses riot victims — according to the suggestions of the local residents.

The move comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls and was welcomed by the BJP.

“Providing jobs to the 47 victims of the anti-Sikh riots in the city, and direction to rename the Vidhwa Colony is a reflection of the affection and bonding between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sikh community,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.

The government jobs for the survivors of the anti-Sikh riots have come after a wait of over four decades, with the Delhi LG last month relaxing qualifications for recruitment of victims of the 1984 riots, said a Raj Niwas statement.

“This decision, pending for decades due to procedural delays and insensitive red tape, has enabled a larger pool of candidates to secure employment, by becoming eligible for it,” the statement said.

Mr Saxena, in a post on X, said the jobs for the affected families will mark a new beginning for them and help them regain self-respect.

He said their pain of losing loved ones in the horrific riots could never be reduced but the wounds certainly can be healed with sympathy and compassion.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)