Srinagar: Minister for Finance, Lab our and Employment Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari Wednesday said the Department of Employment will sponsor Civil Services coaching for deserving students of the state and will bear all the expenses of their boarding and lodging.
Minister asked the department to select 10 each from Jammu and Kashmir division for IAS coaching and 15 each from Jammu and Kashmir provinces for KAS coaching at some reputed institutions in the country. He said the department will bear all their expenses including tuition Fee, Boarding and lodging.
The Minister said this while reviewing the performance of the Departments of Labour and Employment in a meeting here Wednesday.
Vice-Chairman Board J&K Building and other construction workers’ Welfare Board Mudasir Amin Khan, Commissioner Secretary Labour and Employment, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Labour Commissioner Bashir Ahmad Khan, Director Employment GR Mir, senior officers of the department district officers and district officers were present in the meeting.
While reviewing the performance of the department of Employment, Minister was informed that free of cost coaching is being provided to the civil services aspirants at Pulwama, Kulgam and Kupwara and Free of Cost study material was also provided to the participating candidates. Officials said the Career Counseling Officers of the department provide counseling and career guidance to the students in various educational institutions through regular visits.
Bukhari directed the officers to visit the schools, colleges and Universities to conduct career counseling so that the students make up their mind in particular trade since their initial days of colleges so that they can prepare in a better way.
Minister was informed that the department registered 85944 unemployed youths during the last financial year including 39726 in Kashmir and 46218 in Jammu.
Meeting was informed that there are 698 Self Help Groups registered with the department involving 3147 engineers. Officials said 1282 works have been allotted to these SHGs and Rs 115.89 crore have been allotted to the SHGs. He asked the officers to regularly monitor the performance of the SHGs.
Minister was further informed that during the last financial year, 30 job fairs were conducted at various districts in which 745 youth were offered jobs in various private sector companies, besides general awareness regarding various job avenues and Self Employment Schemes.
Bukhari also directed to conduct DPC meetings at earliest to avoid stagnation and fill the vacant posts under Promotional quota.
While reviewing the performance of the department of Labour, Bukhari urged the officers to make the department more vibrant and active so that the unemployed young generation and the workers are benefitted. He said the department of Labour is the custodian of the rights of the laborers, workers and employees including the government and private employees. He said the officers should be aware of their responsibilities towards this vital section of the society and work for the betterment of them.
The meeting was informed that the department released an amount of Rs 3.20 crore as revenue under various labour acts. Minister directed the department to conduct a district wise survey to ascertain the number of shops and other business establishment in the state and every such business establishment shall be registered under relevant acts.
Altaf Bukhari also asked the department to make the registration process more convenient and user friendly so that the workers don’t face hardships for registering themselves.
The meeting was further informed that the department of labour disposes off at least 1126 cases during the last financial year under different acts including Workmen Compensation Act, Payment of Wages Act, Industrial Dispute Act, Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Gratuity Act while 1254 cases are still lying pending including the pendency from the previous years. Minister while directing for early disposal of the pending cases, said the department is custodian of the rights of the labourers and pending cases amounts to denial of justice the labourers. He asked the officers to follow the deadline of 90 days for disposing of the cases.
Officials further informed that the department conducted 908 inspections to various factories under Factory Act during the previous fiscal and launched prosecution against 22 offenders.
The department also conducted 23558 inspections under different acts and launched prosecution against 1625 offenders while 1151 convictions also took place during the financial year 2017-18.
Meeting was further informed that the department is also in the process of digitization of legacy data and the digitization of records in district Jammu and Srinagar is in process.
The Minister on the occasion inaugurated the portal www.jkepfo.gov.in online registration of Employees’ Provident Fund. The Organization endeavors to provide hassle-free delivery of benefits through E-platforms to subscribers and ensure protection of interest of working class as envisaged in Provident Fund Act/Scheme 1961 and EDLI Scheme.
The Minister also directed the officers of the department to identify a suitable land in Srinagar and come up with a proposal for construction of a hospital for the laborers. Meeting was informed that currently there are ESI Dispensaries in the state while 11 new dispensaries are proposed in the industrial areas of the state for the convenience of labourers.
While speaking on the occasion, Minister asked the officers to be more active and work with extra zeal so that the benefit of various welfare schemes reach to the deserving people. He said the officers and the field staff are the eyes and ears of the government and assured them that he will always be at their back and will redress all their grievances.
