Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 22: Extending their support to the demands of daily rated workers for their regularization and release of pending wages, former legislators from Congress party have threatened to actively join the protesting workers and also file a PIL in the High Court if the Government does not concede their demands.
In a joint statement by former law makers Ashok Sharma, Jahangir Hussain Mir, Ch Gharu Ram, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Balwan Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Ch Mohd Akram, they urged upon the J&K Government to regularise and pay pending wages to the daily wagers and casual workers of different Government and public sector and also enhance minimum wage at Rupees 600 per day.
“Despite the announcement by the previous State Government to regularise services of 60,000 daily wagers in the year 2017, which has arisen to 80,000 by now under SRO 520, the announcement has not seen the light of the day. The large number of such workers has been also kept offline, without wages during this global epidemic,” they said.
The former elected representatives added that there are serious allegations on the system at various levels involving corruption, nepotism and favouritism coupled with discrimination, while making regularisation and payment of wages to such employee including that of employment against land cases which needs to be looked into by Anti-Corruption wing (ACB) of the CBI, ensuring justice to the thousands of young men and women all over the territory of J&K.
“Inordinate delay in regularisation of the wagers and non-payment of wages is against the Labour Welfare Laws and those responsible from time to time are required to be subjected to penal actions,” they said and added that thousands of workers of several departments were not listed online for certain obvious consideration and their wages were denied even during COVID-19 despite clear instructions of Union Government and making funds available, not to hold wages when most needed. “This is a matter of serious concern and warrants criminal action by registration of FIRs against such officers and officials by ACB,” they said and also wrote to the Lt Governor for addressing the issue of daily wagers.
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