Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Feb 9: The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Kashmir is clueless about bringing its left out ‘Hamals’, working in various districts across Kashmir, under the ambit of the Minimum Wages Guarantee Act-as was done for others years ago-due to repeated failure of the concerned Assistant Directors in submitting the necessary details sought by the administrative department.
In this regard, the administrative set up of the FCS&CA has taken a strong note of the callousness depicted by the concerned officials in districts like Director Baramulla, Bandipora and Anantnag who have been now given the last opportunity to submit the required information without any deviation from what has been sought by the administrative department concerning the Hamals.
As per officials, the Assistant Directors Baramulla, Bandipora, Anantnag were directed to furnish the requisite information regarding left-out Hamals as per the devised format, however, they said that the information provided has been tagged as “not up-to the mark and devoid of merit”.
The official communication issued in this connection by the Joint Director, Administration (FCS&CA) has noted that the information provided has resulted in the “wastage of precious time of the Department.”
The Assistant Directors, as per the details, were also asked by the administrative department to intimate about the mode of payment/ Account Head under which wages of these left-out Hamals have been released and their subsequent Order Copies under which they are working as Hamal at Sale Centres, duly countersigned by concerned Assistant Directors under seal and signature. The same, as per the official communication, has also not been submitted to the department so that cases of the left out ‘Hamals’ are looked into.
The higher-ups of the department have stated that the concerned persons are off and on approaching the Directorate for bringing them under Minimum Wages Guarantee Act and that they have been working as Hamal much before the Hamals who have been brought under Minimum Wages Guarantee Act vide Government Order No. 13 – CAPD of 2016 dated 04-02-2016.
Taking a strong note of the callousness of the Assistant Directors, the department has, while providing the last opportunity, directed for clearly specifying the criteria adopted while submitting the list to Accounts Section of this Directorate which formed the basis of Government Order No. 13 – CAPD of 2016 dated 04-02-2016 and also furnish the requisite information strictly as per the devised format as asked.
It has been further stated that in case, it is again found that the requisite information deviated from what has been asked “the same shall be treated as null and void and all the cases will be closed forever without any intimation and strict action will be initiated for wasting precious time of the authorities.”
Officials concerned told Excelsior that they are pursuing the matter as per the directives that have been issued in this regard.
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