Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Jan 19: Labourers in district Budgam are facing problem in getting their labour cards renewed due to the official apathy as the concerned department has failed in getting the issues rectified despite the same being in their notice even as the majority of cardholders alleged that they did not receive their due benefits.
The issue has been brought to the fore by one Muhammad Hashim Kumar hailing from Gogji Pathri in district Budgam, who said that he is being made to run from pillar to the post for want of getting his labour card renewed.
He said that for the last several months, the issue has remained pending due to which he has not been able to get the benefits being provided to the labour card holders.
“For the last several months, I am running from pillar to post to get my labour card renewed but nothing seems to be happening even as I am not getting due benefits that I am entitled to,” he said.
Kumar said that the issue is being faced by the majority of people, particularly those who got their labour cards through offline mode—much before the Government set up Common Service Centres (CSC) for issuing labour cards.
He said that at the Labour Department in Budgam, he was told that his contact number needs to be updated. “Over two weeks have passed, but the number has not been updated; the department said that it has been done, but the CSC states the opposite,” he revealed.
As per one of the RTI activists in the district, over 60% of labour cards were issued with the help of a third party—mostly people from the Unions.
“Those people used to charge hefty amounts and the cards were not even registered properly after which the CS centres were told to carry out the process of issuing labour cards,” he said while alleging that CSCs are charging hefty amounts from the labourer reaching out to them for labour card.
While the officials of the labour department said that the online process, being a bit complex, is taking time. “We are doing the work, but it being online and a bit complex is taking time,” a Labour Officer at Budgam said.
Chief Executive Officer J&K Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Munir-ul-Islam told Excelsior that some issues are being faced by around 10% per cent of cardholders only and that same are being rectified.
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