Srinagar, Mar 11 : Senior Jammu and Kashmir Congress leaders Tariq Hameed Karra and G.A. Mir expressed satisfaction over the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s announcement on the constitution of a high-level committee on working out a roadmap for addressing issues of daily wagers.

CM Abdullah, made these remarks on the issue of daily wagers during the budget discussion in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in Jammu on Tuesday.

JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra stated that Congress had ‘vociferously’ raised the concerns of daily wagers in the Assembly. “We made it clear that these small employees—daily wagers and temporary workers—deserve proper accommodation in government policies,” Karra said.

He acknowledged that the Chief Minister addressed the issue during his reply, explaining the background of why these workers were not included in past budgets.

“The CM questioned the BJP on why they didn’t address this issue during their tenure. I think it was a satisfactory response,” Karra added.

He said the government has constituted a high-powered committee with a six-month deadline to formulate a comprehensive package to address the concerns of these workers.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and legislator G.A. Mir also expressed his views, stating that the Chief Minister provided a reasonable explanation. “In 2014, our coalition had prepared for regularization, but after we were out of power, successive governments failed to move forward,” Mir said.

He welcomed the formation of a high-level committee to assess figures, financial requirements, and legal protection for daily wagers. Mir said that such an announcement was a big assurance for need-based, casual, and daily wagers. Mir said that the government has laid a foundation to address various concerns in the coming years.

While appreciating the budget discussion, Mir noted that some issues, like those concerning Kashmiri Pandits, were not extensively covered. However, he said that such matters could be raised during the upcoming grant discussions.

‘61,000 daily wagers from 47 deptss were identified; Govt holds complete data to finalise regularisation’

Jammu, Mar 11 : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister in the NC-Congress coalition, Sham Lal Sharma on Tuesday accused the National Conference (NC) of deliberately keeping the regularisation of daily wagers in Jammu and Kashmir in limbo. He also claimed that the present dispensation is lying about not having the data on the number of daily-rated workers.

Sharma stated that when the NC-Congress was in power back in 2014, the data on daily wagers was compiled and finalised.

Sharma, who served as a cabinet minister and was a senior Congress leader during the NC-Congress coalition from 2009 to 2014, said that the data is still available with the government. He accused the NC-led dispensation of deliberately derailing the process and passing the buck.

“Back in 2013-14, it was the National Conference that played the spoilsport in the regularisation of daily wagers in Jammu and Kashmir. The then Finance Minister was the Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, which identified data for 61,000 daily wagers from 47 departments. I had pursued that issue tooth and nail,” Sharma said.

He added that the regularisation process was put in cold storage by the National Conference because the number of daily wagers to be regularised was higher in the Jammu division compared to the Kashmir division.

“Instead, they went ahead with enhancing the retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60. This was done to support a few bureaucrats and trade union leaders who later fought elections on an NC ticket,” Sharma alleged.

“When will they regularise them if not now? The fact is that the National Conference is exposing daily-rated workers to extreme hardships. Their regularisation would require an estimated 122 crore rupees, but the proposal was kept in limbo for obvious reasons,” he added—(KNO)

Suhail Khan

Jammu, Mar 10: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik asserted that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must fulfill all the promises made to the people, particularly concerning the issue of daily wagers.

Speaking to Kashmir Despatch, MLA Mehraj emphasized that daily wagers should have faith in the government. He highlighted that the government has presented a budget, and daily wagers are an integral part of it. He pointed out that the budget discussions include commitments made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had formed a committee to address their concerns. Additionally, he referenced a Supreme Court order related to the matter. Malik stressed that daily wagers have dedicated their time, made sacrifices, and even risked their lives for their betterment, and therefore, the government must act on their behalf under any circumstances.

“I have already told Omar Sahab that he must fulfill the promises he made,” Malik stated firmly.

He further emphasized that the assembly exists due to the support of the people who elected us, and its vibrancy is a result of the representatives sent by the public. “It is our duty to work for them and address every issue concerning Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

Malik expressed satisfaction with the 2025 budget, stated that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had informed the assembly about plans to generate revenue.

Regarding the opposition, he criticized them for lacking vision and merely creating unnecessary disruptions.

“Lies have their limits. If the BJP is claiming that this budget belongs to Modiji, then why are they opposing it in the assembly?” Malik questioned.

He added, stating that the time is approaching when the public will begin to question the BJP themselves.