Srinagar/Jan, 30 : Member Parliament from Anantnag and senior National Conference eader Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, has appealed Union Finance Minister to take path breaking measures to address the problems faced by 61,000 daily rated, temporary, casual, contractual, seasonal, need based, local fund, CIC, land donor, contingent paid, and other workers serving in different departments, local bodies, corporations and schemes in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued on Sunday Justice (Retd) Masoodi said that he spoke to Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman against the backdrop of a detailed letter earlier written to the Finance Minister highlighting the grave problems faced due to inordinate delay in regularisation, denial of service benefits, non payment and delayed payment of wages and payment of wages less than the minimum by wages to the daily rated and other workers. Masoodi emphasised that routine, run of the mill and half hearted steps would not be of any help in resolving the problem and enormity of the problem call for major and path breaking measure so that 61000 families comprising of more than half a million people of the daily rated and other workers get much awaited relief. The Finance Minister assured Masoodi that she will discuss the matter with the Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor and take all necessary steps to address the problem. Masoodi has also expressed grave concern over the plight of 2500 seasonal teachers of education centres set up for children of ST community migrating in summer with their live stock to higher reaches of Kashmir and disengaged in the winter. He has asked the government to integrate the staff including teachers of the seasonal schools with the Schools education department so that the teachers and other staff serve in the nearby High Schools from October to March and are redeployed to education centres set up for children of migrant population during summer.
The plight of 2500 Rehbar-e Khel serving in different schools and institutions across Jammu and Kashmir, according statement issued, is equally appalling and calls for urgent attention. A Rehbar-e-Khel is paid a meagre salary of Rs 3000 pm and is to wait for 7 long years before he/may may considered for regularisation. There can be no worst example of exploitation as one come across in case of NYC made to discharge all the duties in different departments, performed by regular employees but paid literally a fraction of their total emoluments. Masoodi has demanded a just, uniform and fair Regularisation and wage policy guaranteeing time bound regularisation and wage above the National Floor Wages.
