SRINAGAR: Despite more than one lakh daily wagers, casual labourers, and other temporary workers serving across government departments for decades, the Jammu Kashmir Government has said that their regularisation remains under detailed examination by a high-level committee constituted in March 2025.
In a series of replies to clubbed starred questions raised by several legislators, including Waheed ur Rehman Para, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Sham Lal Sharma, Irfan Hafiz Lone, and others, the Government confirmed that a total of 100501 casual, daily-rated, seasonal, and other workers have been identified through Aadhaar-based biometric verification across 27 departments.
The data shows that the Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control Department tops the list with 38,585 workers, followed by the Power Development Department with 13,616, the Forest Department with 8,317, and the Health and Medical Education Department with over 11,000 workers. Other major employing departments include the School Education Department, Public Works (RB), and Agriculture.
These workers — many of whom have been serving for over 20 years — include casual labourers, seasonal and contingent staff, need-based and contractual employees, Anganwadi and Asha workers, helpers, NYC volunteers, and even land donors who gave up property for public projects. They are widely regarded as the backbone of service delivery across rural and urban areas of Jammu Kashmir, keeping critical sectors like water supply, power, forestry, and education operational despite irregular pay and limited benefits.
The Government Order No. 384-JK(GAD) of March 19, 2025 set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to examine the humanitarian, legal, administrative, and financial issues involved in regularising these workers. The committee has also been tasked with eliminating duplication and bogus entries through a verified, department-wise digital database.
Officials said the committee is “undertaking an in-depth examination of all aspects” and will suggest a comprehensive way forward. However, the Government did not commit to a specific timeline for implementing its recommendations, saying the issue involves multiple dimensions.
On the issue of pending wages, the Government admitted that many such engagements were made to maintain essential services, and wages are being paid according to the minimum rates notified by the Government, though variations exist depending on the department or scheme.
While the exercise marks the first unified biometric verification and profiling of the informal government workforce in the Union Territory, the delay in policy action continues to fuel uncertainty among tens of thousands of workers who have spent much of their working lives on daily-rated terms, without security of tenure or pension.
For now, the long-awaited regularisation of Jammu Kashmir’s daily wagers — a promise revisited by successive governments for decades — remains a work in progress, pending the committee’s final report and Cabinet approval.
