Talks with Advisor end with assurances
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 15: The J&K Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) today said the Government has yet to outline a concrete roadmap for the regularisation of around 61,000 daily wagers, raising the issue during a formal meeting with the administration here.
An EJAC delegation led by president Wajahat Hussain, along with general secretary Sajad Ahmad Parray and other senior members, met Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani and submitted two detailed demand charters.
Addressing a press conference, the leaders said the meeting was held in two rounds-one focusing on issues of daily wagers and the other on broader concerns of Government and public sector employees.
They stressed that regularisation of daily wagers remains a pressing issue.
The delegation said that despite the Chief Minister’s assurance that the process would begin this year, no formal roadmap has been issued so far. It also noted that a committee constituted to frame the plan has not submitted its report even after more than a year.
EJAC pressed for regularisation of 61,000 daily wagers against available vacant posts in the first phase.
“We expressed our apprehensions before the Government and made it clear that regularisation against vacancies must be taken up immediately. Fixed salary without regularisation and service benefits is not acceptable,” Wajahat Hussain said.
The delegation argued that the process can be carried out without creating new posts by utilising existing vacancies across departments.
It cited around 4,500 vacant posts in the Public Health Engineering Department and called for phased absorption of daily wagers.
EJAC also sought modifications in recruitment rules to accommodate experienced workers lacking formal technical certification, stating that such changes would remove procedural hurdles without adding financial burden on the Government.
The delegation further demanded immediate release of pending and monthly wages of daily wagers and casual labourers across departments, including Tourism, Agriculture, Forest, Irrigation, R&B and Sericulture. Issues concerning temporary employees in public sector schemes such as Rehbar-e-Khel and Rehbar-e-Janglat were also raised.
A wide range of employee-related concerns were flagged, including transfer policy for ReT teachers, career progression of +2 lecturers, confirmation of in-charge officers, and formulation of proper service rules for NHM employees along with timely salary disbursement. Concerns of employees at SKIMS Soura were also discussed, EJAC said.
The delegation also highlighted delays in conducting Departmental Promotion Committees in several departments, leading to stagnation among employees, and demanded early action.
Among other demands, EJAC sought implementation of the 7th Pay Commission for transport corporation employees, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, and release of pending wages and salaries in various public sector units.
The leaders said the Advisor assured the delegation that the Government is committed to fulfilling its promise regarding regularisation and addressing employee concerns, adding that the committee’s report will be expedited and further discussions will follow.
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