Multiple SROs to be issued on criteria
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 13: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today made a significant announcement that her Government would regularize 60,000 daily wagers and casual labourers working in various departments in Jammu and Kashmir but, sources in her Government, admitted that number of such workers was much more and a high-empowered Screening Committee likely to be headed by the Finance Secretary will be constituted with representatives from various departments to screen individual cases of individual departments before clearing them for regularization.
“Multiple SROs would be issued in next one week to explain broad criteria to be adopted by the State Government for regularization of daily wagers and casual workers as they wouldn’t be regularized under SRO 202, which is applied for clear vacancies,” official sources told the Excelsior and pointed out that presently nobody knows exact number of the workers to be regularized as everybody working in various departments had applied for regularization but only those workers, who will fall under criteria set by the Government, will be eligible for regularization.
Admitting that regularization process could take around two years, sources pointed out that entire process was very complicated right from the Day one but once the SROs are out in the next few days, the things would become clear and the Government would be in a position to know exact number of casual labourers and daily wagers, who are to be regularized.
Mehbooba took to twitter this morning to make important announcement on regularization of daily wagers and casual labourers.
“Our Government will be regularizing 60,000 daily wagers and casual labourers working in various departments in Jammu and Kashmir to provide sustainable livelihoods to those who need it the most,” she tweeted this morning. She asserted that hard work and dedication must always be recognized and appreciated.
Sources said the employees will not be regularized under SRO 202, which states that an employee appointed in any Government office will get only basic salary for five years. A separate SRO will be drafted under which the employees will fall under a pay scale according to the number of years of service of a particular individual.
“Instead of one, a multiple SROs could be issued on regularization of daily wagers in different departments,” sources said and pointed out that the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control department topped the list of daily wagers and casual workers though many other departments have engaged such workers including Power Development Department, Forests etc.
Sources that the regularization of daily wagers and casual labourers could take a couple of years though the process for it would be set into motion within a week with the issuance of SROs containing broad criteria and guidelines on regularization.
A high-level Empowered Committee likely to be headed by the Finance Secretary would be set up with members from all departments, which have engaged daily wagers and casual workers, who will determine individual cases of individual departments and clear those for regularization, who meet the criteria to be determined in the upcoming SROs, sources said.
On variation of figures as the Chief Minister announced regularization of 60,000 daily wagers and casual workers while a Chief Secretary headed Committee had put number of such workers at 1,00,501, sources said “accurate number” was not known to anyone at this stage as all those working in the departments have applied for regularization but only those workers will be regularized, who meet the criteria to be adopted by the Government in the SROs.
“The figure of one lakh may not be true. In fact, the number of workers could be around 60,000 or slightly more. The number would be known once the process of regularization begins and the Empowered Committee starts clearing the cases,” sources said, adding even determination of number could take time.
When asked if SRO 202 will be applicable for the regularization of these employees, sources said SRO 202 will not be applied on the 60,000 daily wagers and casual labourers, who will be regularized.
“SRO 202 is applied only on clear vacancies. There will be fresh SRO which will be applied for daily wagers, casual labourers, particularly people left out in the Special Provisions Act. So, it’s a much wider thing,” they added.
About the pay scale of these employees, sources said the scale will be determined by the years of service of a particular individual. “There will be other benefits given to these employees,” they added.
The announcement comes about two months after the State Cabinet accepted the report of a high level committee headed by the Chief Secretary laying out a roadmap for regularization of casual, seasonal labourers and daily rated workers.
The Cabinet had also asked the Finance Department to workout concrete measures to operationalise the roadmap to meet the long-standing demand of such engaged persons.
The decision comes as a relief for daily wagers and casual labourers, who have in the last about nine years organized hundreds of protests and hunger strike, demanding regularization of their services. Most of these daily wagers and casual labourers have been working in different Government departments for about 18 to 20 years.
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