Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 30: Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather today said that Government will soon formulate a policy for regularisation of casual labourers and Need Based Worker (NBW) working in different departments in the State.
Rather was replying to a question by Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, who wanted to know the Government’s stand on casual labourers and NBW working in Public Health Engineering (PHE), Power Development Department (PDDP) and other departments for the past about a decade.
The minister while responding to Yasin’s query during Zero Hour, said there is a clear policy on Daily Rated Workers (DRW) for their regularisations after completing seven years of continuous service.
“There were 59,000 DRWs and 56,000 have been regularised and remaining 3000 will also be regularized soon. This is a continuous process and left out will also be regularized”, Rather informed the House. He, however, said, there is no policy for Casual Labourers and NBW. “There could be 70, 000 such labourers and NBW”, he said.
“We have issued directions to all departments to give us details about the casual labourers, NBW”, the Minister said. He said that the departments were asked to give details about who appointed them and what was the source of their wages.
Rather said the cases of all those who will filfill the cateria as will be set up by CSC, will be regularised. “This will be done within next two or three days”, he announced when members wanted to know how much time it will take.
PDP member Abdul Haq Khan alleged that list of Casual Labourers and NBW was being prepared by ministers and ruling leaders, keeping in view of the Assembly elections. “From every household the NC workers collect photographs of the youth who are promised to be given employment”, he alleged.
However, Rather said that only genuine Casual Labourers and NBW will be regularized.
G M Saroori alleged that daily wagers in PHE, in far flung and remote areas, are being paid only twice in a year-Eid or Deepawali- festivals.
Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami asked: “I want to know when will Government provide the wage and what is Government policy on Dailywagers and Casual Labourers.”
Rather said it is true that General Administrative Department (GAD) has issued a circular to all the departments which appointed the casual labourers and NBWs. He said action will be taken against those officers who fail to submit the report about these workers.
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