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.