Srinagar

The Employees of Jammu and Kashmir Handloom Development Corporation on Monday said that they have not been paid the salaries for the last seven months for the want of budgetary subventions.

The employees said that this has led to starvation of their families and requested the finance minister Dr Haseeb Drabu to look into the matter at the earliest.

They said that they have repeatedly protested to press for their demands but “unfortunately” the government has not paid heed to their demands.

The employees have written a letter to the finance minister to apprise him about their issues.

Kashmir Life reproduces the contents of the letter, abridged:

The Hon’ble Finance Minister,

Jammu & Kashmir State, Srinagar.

The employees  of J&K State Handloom Development Corporation  Ltd. are pressing  for their legitimate salaries /wages unpaid for last 07 (seven) months for want of adequate budgetary subventions.   The unheeded  grievances of  employees/workers has   increasingly resulted in the starvation of  employees/ workers and  their siblings in these days of dearness with uncontrolled inflation   in price index of  essential commodities and   the poor   employees/workers are unable   to provide basic needs   of life   to their   families and  dependents.

The employees have been agitating before the authorities for coming  to their rescue in  testing times  but the callous attitude of people at  the helm of affairs are   ignoring the invaluable role and contributions performed x  by State Handloom Corporation  Development employees/workers for upliftment of socio-economic conditions of  a  particulars section of  the society.

It may  be not out of  place  to  inform the  authorities  that J&K   State Handloom Development Corporation Ltd.(POSHISH) was  established  by J&K  Govt,   in  the  year  1981  with  main objective of  uplifting  and   improving socio-economic  conditions of  Handloom Weavers  scattered  in decentralized  sector   in   far flung &  remote  areas by providing  them    modernized  handlooms trainings  and  technical knowhow ,   raw materials   and  per loom and  post loom facilities  at  their door  steps   for  production  of innovative products   in woolen   ,silk  and cotton  etc.

The poor weavers who  are economically down-trodden  are being paid  wages   in   lieu  of  their  production   and   the  commercial activity of the  corporation  is restricted  to clearance  of stocks  woven   by   the   weavers   in   order   to   ensure   and   sustain un-interrupted work  and  employment  to handloom weavers   for their  economic   transformation  which   is   vivid   in  the  areas covered  by  the corporation.

The basic  concept  of J&K Handloom Development Corporation visualized   in   the   year   1981   for   Development  and  promotion  of Hand loom India s tries  for economic  and  social   upliftment  of a   social   strata  of   handloom weavers  community  has  been   in   fact a  grand  success  as   is evident  from  the   improved  economic turn  around  of the  people  appreciated  in  the areas brought under the  purview of scheme by   the Corporation.

However,   inturn   the  employees  and  workers  have  suffered for  lack of  financial  and  budgetory suffport  and   assistance they would  be qualifying and  entitled  to  perform promotional and  developmental  role.  Further  over the  years  reduced   activities curtailed   the  resource   base  with dwindling number   of weavers and        Shrinkage of raw material base.  The Corporation at  present would  generate  a  little resources  from clearance of   stocks woven  by weavers  and  also  from trading of  handlooms   textiles not  manufactured by the  corporation.

There is conceptual  mis-understanding  to  treat  handloom Development Corporation  Ltd.  at par with  other commercial organisations  given   the  enshrined  aims  and  objects  in  Memoranda and  crticles  of  Association  of  Handloom Development  Corporation Ltd.

The  task  force committee  headed  by Mr. Jaleel Ahmad  Khan Economic  Advisor with Mr.  B.R.   Sharma Principal   secretary  to Government Planning &  Development  Department  and  Mr. B.B.   Viyas, Principal   Secretary to Govt.  Finance Department constituted by  the  Govt,   for restructuring of J&K Public   Sector  undertaking has categorized   and  identified J&K Handloom Development Corporation  Ltd.   as Developmental &  promotional  organization requiring a  perpectual budgetory subventions  to carry on   its activities.

Now,   the Hon’ble Finance Minister is taking review on the working of Corporation on   22,08.2017.The  employees and workers of J&K   State Handloom Development Corporation  Ltd. appeal  the Hon’ble Finance Minister to kindly have regard and consideration of his own  announcement and commitment regarding implementation of task  force committee report.

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