Exercise to be undertaken shortly
Previous data showed numbers close to one lakh
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 29: The UT Government has decided to prepare database of all casual/daily rated workers engaged in different departments to ascertain their exact numbers, period from which they are working, appointing authority etc before taking a decision on how they can be regularized or benefitted in other ways.
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Officials told the Excelsior that the exercise is expected to be set into motion shortly and questionnaires to be sought from different departments about casual/daily wage workers are being drafted before being finalized and sent to the departments for detailed information. The upcoming annual budget of Jammu and Kashmir for the financial year of 2025-26 to be presented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the Finance Department, could also give some indications about such workers, they said.
“The Government first wants to prepare database of casual/daily rated workers including their total numbers in the different departments, department-wise workers, duration from which they have been working, name of the appointing authority and other related information required for taking further decision on them,” the officials said.
Asserting that such a database had earlier also been collected by previous Governments from different departments, the officials said, fresh census of the workers is a must so that Government of the day is aware of exact numbers and other requisite details before taking any kind of decision on them.
During PDP-BJP coalition Government, the then Finance Ministry had stated that number of casual/daily wage workers was 65,000 but when detailed information was sought from different departments, the number crossed one lakh. The National Conference-Congress coalition Government headed by Omar Abdullah had also undertaken similar exercise and obtained some data.
Various political parties in their election manifestoes had assured regularization of the daily wagers. There have been assurances from representative of the ruling alliance partners also on regularization of daily wagers.
Asserting that it will be tough task for any Government to regularize nearly one lakh daily wagers in one go, the officials said some way out has to be found by the Government to tread middle path in which the State exchequer is also not burdened heavily and issues of daily wagers are also addressed.
Majority of the daily wagers, as per the officials, are engaged in Jal Shakti and Power Development Departments though a good number of them have also been working in various other departments.
“Only after database is prepared by the Government after obtaining detailed information about daily wagers, the Cabinet will take a call on future course of action,” the officials said and admitted that the exercise could take some time.