he NC government proves to be a failure and is running with arrogance and insensitivity on the Daily Wagers’ issue. It has no intention to resolve the issue and intends to dodge the issue with a committee, stated Sunil Sharma and Sh. Sham Lal Sharma.
Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition & General Secretary, J&K BJP and Sham Lal Sharma, MLA & J&K BJP Vice-President, along with Sh. Kuldeep Raj Dubey, MLA, and Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, Media Incharge, J&K BJP were addressing a press conference at BJP Headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
Sunil Sharma, expressed the deep concern over the existing state of affairs about the issue of daily wagers in Jammu & Kashmir. He said that the daily wagers were forced to adopt the path of strike due to the callous and non-serious attitude of CM Umar Abdullah led NC government. This led to an increase in trouble for the common masses. He said that the NC government turned down the demand by BJP legislators to hold talks with the daily wagers.
The BJP legislators strongly protested in the Assembly over the issue of daily wagers and the problems faced by the people, leading to the walkout against the NC government.
“NC government wants to dodge the Daily-wagers’ issue with the formation of a committee. But the daily wagers are skeptical of any outcome of the committee.
He said that the CM Omar Abdullah brushes off every question with “ten years” and blames the previous government. He said that BJP was a part of alliance government for 3 years, framed a high-power committee, and brought SRO-520 to regularize daily wagers, but the government collapsed before its implementation.
“LG administration took substantial steps to increase the salary to 9350 rupees, and this fact seems to be unknown to the present CM. To provide relief to daily wagers, the NC government could have sent assurance to the daily wagers or simply implement the policy designed by the Alliance government”, said Sh. Sunil Sharma.
Sham Lal Sharma, while sharing minute details over the issue said that successive governments in J&K progressed with adhoc approach which gave rise to the issue of daily wagers, need based, and casual labours. They took the liberty of Article 370 to suit their own-benefits, he said and termed this as total failure of NC government.
“They belong to 47 departments and the 23,711 of these belong to the PHE/Irrigation department and Flood Control. First committee was framed in 2007 under the then CM Ghulam Nabi Azad in Congress & PDP government, but the outcome was zero”, said Sh. Sham Lal Sharma.
“11,129 were regularized in Kashmir in PHE but only 855 from Jammu region were considered”, he said.
He mentioned the Cabinet sub-committee with Finance Minister Rather as the chairman, and included Ministers of Rural Department & Panchayati Raj, Urban Development, PHE & Flood control, Planning & development, Labour & Employment, Law & Parliamentary affairs, and Medical Education.
Citing about 61,011 people in 47 departments in 2014, he mentioned that he suggested regularizing these as there were 7200 schemes. He said that 4800 schemes existed in Jammu as the water reaches with gravity in Kashmir but reaches destination by stages in Jammu region due to topography and tough area.
And that time, NC demanded 10,000 people from Kashmir. Refusing, he resigned in protest and submitted a dissent note as already people from Kashmir were given massive representation as compared to Jammu.
“BJP with commitment to help these workers raised their salary above 9000. NC says that they will regularize them but when, as already many of those who are serving in such tragic state of affairs since 1994 have returned to their homes and some have lost their lives”, said Sh. Sham Lal Sharma.
Sham Lal Sharma also mentioned the chronology of the events under the CM Umar Abdullah, when the issue was not redressed. They had no intentions to regularize any one of them, he added while challenging Umar Abdullah, then CM and the present CM for an open debate on the issue in public domain with the facts and figures.
