Pune/Mumbai

Nearly ten months after losing her father in the Pahalgam terror attack, Asawari Jagdale is set to be inducted into Maharashtra government service after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde intervened on Monday.

The development came hours after Asawari publicly expressed disappointment over the delay in fulfilling a promise of government employment made to her family following the attack.

According to a statement from Shinde’s office, the Urban Development Minister directed Pune Municipal Corporation Commissioner Navalkishore Ram to take steps to appoint her to a suitable post in the civic body, in line with her educational qualifications.

Asawari’s father, Santosh Jagdale, was among 26 people killed when terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam on April 22 last year. In the aftermath of the attack, the Maharashtra government had announced financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to families of the six victims from the state and assured government jobs to their next of kin.

Speaking to the media earlier in the day, Asawari said it had been ten months since the assurance was given, but no concrete progress had been made. She mentioned that Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the matter.

She added that she had remained in touch with the offices of Deputy Chief Minister Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, but officials had only conveyed that follow-ups were underway.

The family, she said, has been struggling financially since her father’s death, with savings running low. She appealed to authorities to expedite the process.

Following her remarks, Shinde spoke with the Pune civic chief, after which Asawari was contacted and details of her academic background were sought. Instructions were subsequently issued to induct her into service on compassionate grounds at the earliest, the statement said.

“The government is sensitive to the issue and should ensure that Asawari is appointed without further delay,” Shinde said.

Earlier, Maharashtra BJP media in-charge Navnath Ban had said he would personally raise the matter with the chief minister and party leadership, reiterating support for the Jagdale family and other victims of the attack.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule also called on the state government to immediately clear the job proposal. In a post on X, she said it was disheartening that despite assurances, Asawari had not yet been appointed. She noted that a proposal recommending a position aligned with her qualifications had already been submitted but remained pending approval.

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Sule urged the government to act with urgency and empathy, saying families who lost loved ones in the Pahalgam attack deserved timely support and justice.