*Last opportunity given to Admn Secys for registration of all workers
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 15: Establishing that instructions of the State Cabinet don’t carry any importance for several bureaucrats, many departments have failed to submit information regarding casual, seasonal labourers/workers (CSLWs), which otherwise is imperative for long pending regularization of 61,000 such workers. Due to continuous dilly-dallying approach the Government has been compelled to give one last opportunity for registration of all eligible workers.
The non-serious approach of departments since March 3, 2016 when the issue was dealt by the State Administrative Council headed by Governor N N Vohra, was exclusively highlighted by EXCELSIOR in its edition dated March 31, 2017 and it was specifically mentioned that there were grim chances of completion of Aadhar based biometric identification and skill profiling of CSLWs before the new deadline of May 10, 2017.
This has become true as designated committee headed by Chief Secretary in a meeting held yesterday has noted with concern that quite a large number of departments have failed to furnish the relevant information by the last date fixed for online registration despite clear-cut instructions to have the entire process completed by May 10, 2017.
However, in view of various representations received for extending the last date and taking note of the Cabinet decision dated June 7, 2017, it has been decided by the designated committee to give one last opportunity to the departments to register all eligible workers.
“To ensure that the entire process is completed in time and no eligible worker is left out from the process of registration, the last date for uploading the information is extended to July 15, 2017 and to furnish certified hard copies on the devised format the last date has been fixed as July 31, 2017”, reads a circular issued by Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Finance Department Navin K Choudhary today.
Now, the Finance Department has explicitly conveyed that it will be the exclusive responsibility of the concerned Administrative Secretaries to register all eligible CSLWs by or before July 15, 2017 failing which it will be presumed that the departments have registered all the eligible CSLWs for the process and no further extension will be granted on this account. He has issued instructions for delivery of circular in person to all the Administrative Secretaries to ensure personal supervision and monitoring by them.
“No additional case will be entertained beyond the stipulated date”, Finance Secretary said in the circular, adding “the cases of all the casual workers including consolidated workers of Transport Department, consolidated Safaiwallas of Health and Medical Education Department and casual labourers of SKIMS will be examined by the concerned departments and if found eligible will be allowed to up-load information of these workers under relevant category”.
All the complaints received regarding bogus registration of casual workers will be forwarded to the concerned departments for verification of the complaints. Even instructions have been issued for creation of helpline to help officers facing difficulty in uploading relevant information.
It is pertinent to mention here that State Administrative Council headed by Governor N N Vohra in its meeting held on March 3, 2016 had constituted a high-level committee headed by Chief Secretary to look into the extent/magnitude of problems relating to casual workers-financial, legal and administrative that may arise in regularization of casual/ seasonal labourers and workers in different Government departments.
Following establishment of PDP-BJP Government, the issue again received the attention and State Cabinet vide its Decision No.18/2/2016 dated April 27, 2016, framed Committee headed by Chief Secretary to facilitate the regularization of estimated 61,000 casual/seasonal labourers and workers. The Committee was asked to complete Aadhar based biometric identification and skill profiling of casual workers/ daily rated workers by an institutional mechanism.
Thereafter, Chief Secretary on August 17, 2016 reviewed the progress with regard to Aadhar based biometric identification and skill profiling of casual, seasonal, daily rated and various other categories of workers engaged with various Government departments. It was decided in the meeting that within next one month, departments shall submit in a prescribed format the list of all casual/ seasonal workers.
However, the Chief Secretary headed committee on March 20, 2017 noticed with serious concern the dilly-dallying approach of the departments and accordingly last date for up-loading the information as well as for furnishing of hard and soft copies to the Finance Department was fixed as May 10, 2017, which has also not been met by many departments.
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