Srinagar, Sept 11 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said on Friday that the Union Territory (UT) government is considering phased regularisation of daily wagers.
Speaking on the sidelines of a government event here, Deputy CM Choudhary said the demands of daily wagers were genuine and legitimate, but urged them to remain patient and not allow the issue to be politicised.
He added that regularisation of daily wagers is a commitment made by the National Conference in its manifesto, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also assured the Legislative Assembly that the matter would be addressed.
“Daily wagers are engaged across departments. They have the right to be regularised and deserve equal rights,” Deputy CM Choudhary said.
Jammu and Kashmir has more than 50,000 daily wagers working in various departments of the UT government, including power development department, flood and irrigation department, public health engineering department, social welfare and other departments.
The Deputy Chief Minister said a committee led by the Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo was examining the matter and that the UT government was working towards a phased solution for regularisation.
He also appealed to the workers not to go on strike, saying they were an important part of the government machinery and assuring them that their genuine demands would be addressed.
Speaking at the craft exhibition here on Friday, the Deputy Chief Minister praised the efforts of artisans, officers and various departments in preserving Jammu and Kashmir’s traditional heritage and promoting handmade products.
He urged people to purchase traditional products, particularly Kashmiri shawls, saying they were no less valuable than branded goods and that supporting local artisans would encourage them to preserve the region’s rich heritage.
On Vande Mataram, Deputy CM Choudhary said the national song had a historic association with India’s freedom struggle and described it as the song of martyrs and freedom fighters.
He added that people had the right to raise legitimate demands, referring to the demands being raised in Ladakh and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir, too, was seeking restoration of statehood.
–IANS
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