SRINAGAR : Jammu and Kashmir government will soon formulate a policy for regularisation of casual labourers and Need Based Worker (NBW) working in different departments in the state, Finance Minister Abdul Rehman Rather said.
Mr Rather was replying to a question in the Legislative Assembly during Zero Hour by Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, who wanted to know the government’s stand on casual labourers and NBW who are working in Public Health Engineering (PHE), Power Development Department (PDDP) and other departments for the past about a decade. The minister said there was a clear policy on Daily Rated Workers (DRW) for their regularisations after completing seven years of continuous service. There were 59,000 DRWs, he said, adding 56,000 have been regularised and remaining 3000 will also be regularised. This is a continuous process and left out will also be regularised, he informed the House. However, he said, there was no policy for Casual Labourers and NBW. There could be 70000 such labourers and NBW, he said.
We have issued directions to all departments to give us details about the casual labourers, NBW, he said the department were asked to give details about who appointed them, what was the source of their wages. The minister informed that reply about 53000 have been received and more 17000 is expected soon. He said a Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) has already been constituted on this important issue which will formulate a policy about their regularisation.
He 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. G M Saroori alleged that daily wagers in PHE, who are providing water to people in far flung and remote areas, are being paid only twice in a year—Eid or Deepawali– festivals.
Mr Rather said it is true that General Administrative Department (GAD) has written a circular to all departments who appointed the casual labourers and NBWs. He said action will be taken against those officers who fail to submit the report about these workers. (AGENCIES)
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