MHA seeks data from UT Govt
Despite budgetary provision, no headway made earlier
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 1: The Jammu and Kashmir is set to get good news on employment front in the upcoming budget of the Union Territory which will be tabled in the Parliament in budget session which is resuming on March 8 as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought lists of nearly one lakh workers engaged by the previous Governments during past over two decades who couldn’t be regularized despite budgetary provision by former Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Home Ministry had sought complete data of the workers engaged in different departments of the Jammu and Kashmir Government over past two decades which has reportedly been furnished to them along with total numbers, years in which their services were hired, the budgetary provision for their regularization which couldn’t be implemented, utilization of their services and mode of payment of wages to them.
Upcoming budget of Jammu and Kashmir which will be presented in the Parliament anytime after March 8 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to carry roadmap on the engagement of workers. “There is likely to be a good news on this front,” sources said.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh had also taken up the issue of over one lakh workers with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and suggested certain roadmaps for proper utilization of their services in the Government departments.
“There was a view that though majority of such workers had been engaged without following due procedure like written exam or interview by previous PDP-Congress, National Conference-Congress and PDP-BJP Governments it now becomes moral duty of the Central as well as Union Territory Governments to take sympathetic view of them,” sources said.
Though it might not be possible for the Government to regularize services of over one lakh workers as this could invite litigations, sources said the Central Government is likely to find a way out so that the workers get regular wages and other facilities.
Confirming that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had sought lists of workers from the Jammu and Kashmir Government, a senior official said the data has been sent along with other necessary information sought by the Ministry.
Sources said the Central Government is expected to come out with its view on the workers in annual budget of Jammu and Kashmir which is to be presented in the Parliament only after few days from now.
According to sources, majority of workers were engaged in Jal Shakti and Power Works Department. However, there were many other Departments where such workers have been engaged. In due course of time, the Union Territory Government has to give staff to newly constituted District Development Councils (DDCs) and Block Development Councils (BDCs).
The then PDP-BJP coalition Government had drawn roadmap for partial regularization of nearly one lakh workers in the budget presented by then Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu. However, the then Government had identified only 61,000 workers but subsequent figures showed that their number was around one lakh.
The process for partial regularization of workers was initiated by the Government but it didn’t mature. The process ended with collapse of the PDP-BJP Government and imposition of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018.
“After Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh took up the matter with the Union Home Minister, the Ministry sought details from the Union Territory Government and there has been sympathetic consideration about the plight of such workers,” sources said.
As Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t have elected Legislature because of delay in conduct of Assembly elections, the annual budget of Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2021-22 will be presented in the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman like the previous year.
Last year, the Jammu and Kashmir’s budget was presented in the Parliament by Sitharaman on March 17 and this year too it was expected to be tabled around March 15. The meetings of the senior Finance Department officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Government with the Union Finance Ministry officials are almost over and final touch to the budget will be given shortly before it is tabled in the Parliament for debate and passing.
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