Udhampur, Feb 16: Apni Party Provincial President, Jammu and former minister, S. Manjit Singh on Friday said they will regularize the daily wagers if they form the next government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Over 61, 000 daily wagers have been serving in various government departments for the last more than two decades and working as backbone in many Departments. However, their services were not regularized, which is a violation of labour laws as well as human rights,” Singh said in his address in Udhampur. He was addressing a worker’s meeting in Udhampur which was organized by J&K President of Apni Trade Union, Ajaz Kazmi, and Adil Shah.
On this occasion, dozens of people joined the party in the presence of Manjit Singh. While welcoming the new entrants into the party fold, the former minister hoped that their joining would help the party to expand its roots in Udhampur, and its rural areas where the people require an unbiased voice as their representatives.
Appreciating the Udhampur Unit of the party, Manjit explained how party president Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari “braved all odds and laid the foundation of the party when no one was ready to come forward to represent the voiceless people of Jammu and Kashmir”.
In his address, he referred to the plight of more than 61, 000 daily wagers who have been engaged for the last two decades in various departments, yet they were not regularized. “These daily wagers are working more than permanent employees and facing harassment from their respective department regarding release of their monthly wages, and release of pending dues,” he recalled.
The Apni Party leader said the daily wagers have become an inseparable part and parcel of the government and hence, it becomes the duty of the administration to resolve their genuine demands.
Condemning the government for delay in accepting the demands of the daily wagers, he said that if the Apni Party forms the government in Jammu and Kashmir, they will regularize all the daily wagers. “We will not tolerate any kind of discrimination with any worker/employee who serves people honestly. The Party acknowledges the hard work of the daily wagers,” he said while paying tributes to those daily wagers who died while performing their duties.
Singh said that those daily wagers who died while performing their duties shall be provided compensation and a government job should be provided to their next of kin. He demanded a hike in their wages, regular release of monthly wages and implementation of the minimum wage act in Jammu and Kashmir so that the violation of labour laws and exploitation of daily wagers could be stopped.
