SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir Government has admitted that even as more than Rs 940 crore has been collected as welfare cess from construction projects over the past three years, significant disparities persist in the payment of minimum wages and implementation of pension benefits for workers across the Union Territory.
In a written reply to a starred question by Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami in the Assembly, the Labour and Employment Department said that Rs 292.69 crore, Rs 322.46 crore, and Rs 324.41 crore were collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (JKBOCWWB) during 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 respectively. However, only Rs 507.45 crore was spent on welfare measures in the same period, leaving hundreds of crores unutilised even as thousands of labourers await benefits.
While the Government said the minimum wages notified under S.O. 513 of October 2022 remain in force, it admitted that the rates have not been revised for over five years, contrary to the requirement under Section 3(1)(b) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, which mandates periodic revision. A committee has been set up to address issues including the inclusion of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) as a component of minimum wages, aligning JK with more progressive labour regimes elsewhere in India. The committee’s recommendations, however, “await further administrative processing and approval.”
On the demand for a pension scheme for registered construction workers, the Department said it is exploring the possibility of carving out a monthly pension within its existing financial framework but is awaiting a policy decision from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, which is considering a Universal Pension Scheme for workers nationwide.
Officials maintained that while the vision document on workers’ welfare has been prepared and sent for approval, the practical implementation of reforms in wage structures and pensions remains pending.
The Government’s own data underlines a stark contrast — while collections continue to rise, many workers remain caught between stagnant wages, delayed welfare disbursement, and the absence of a social security net, exposing the fragile state of labour welfare in Jammu Kashmir’s construction sector.
