Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 4: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Youth President and the party’s candidate for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, today termed the “plight” of temporary workers in J&K as a matter of grave concern.
Addressing public meetings during his campaign in several areas of Pulwama district, Parra expressed his commitment to raising the issues of these workers and advocating for their regularization if elected.
He asserted that he would raise the issue in the Parliament of India, pressing the Government to prioritize their case by establishing a job policy for them.
Parra emphasized, “The plight of more than 65,000 daily-rated, temporary, casual, seasonal, local fund, contractual teachers, contractual lecturers, contractual College-level assistant Professors, contingency-paid, and other workers is of grave concern.”
He was accompanied by several party functionaries during his campaign and met with dozens of contractual employees to listen to their concerns, assuring them that he would address their grievances if elected in the upcoming elections.
The PDP leader underscored that these more than 65,000 daily-rated workers and others have been awaiting regularization for decades, thereby being deprived of numerous benefits such as pay scale, grade pay, HRA, education allowance, etc., which are available to their colleagues in similar or less onerous positions.
Parra lamented that despite serving their respective departments for the last 20 years, the government’s promises to them have remained unfulfilled.
During interactions with contractual lecturers, assistant professors, and other employees, Parra pointed out the inconsistency and lack of fairness in the current contractual scheme.
He highlighted the plight of many individuals trapped in a perpetual cycle of contractual employment without the prospect of permanent positions, even after surpassing the age limit.
Emphasizing the dire situation faced by these employees, Parra noted that hundreds of them have gone without salaries for several months, making it impossible for them to meet their basic needs and enduring unimaginable hardship.
He urged the Government to provide proper job security for them and pledged to leave no stone unturned in advocating for their case in the Parliament.
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