Mubashir Alam Wani
Srinagar, Mar 11: Senior Jammu and Kashmir Congress leaders Tariq Hameed Karra and G.A. Mir expressed satisfaction over the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s announcement on the constitution of a high-level committee on working out a roadmap for addressing issues of daily wagers.
CM Abdullah, made these remarks on the issue of daily wagers during the budget discussion in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in Jammu on Tuesday.
JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra stated that Congress had ‘vociferously’ raised the concerns of daily wagers in the Assembly. “We made it clear that these small employees—daily wagers and temporary workers—deserve proper accommodation in government policies,” Karra said.
He acknowledged that the Chief Minister addressed the issue during his reply, explaining the background of why these workers were not included in past budgets.
“The CM questioned the BJP on why they didn’t address this issue during their tenure. I think it was a satisfactory response,” Karra added.
He said the government has constituted a high-powered committee with a six-month deadline to formulate a comprehensive package to address the concerns of these workers.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and legislator G.A. Mir also expressed his views, stating that the Chief Minister provided a reasonable explanation. “In 2014, our coalition had prepared for regularization, but after we were out of power, successive governments failed to move forward,” Mir said.
He welcomed the formation of a high-level committee to assess figures, financial requirements, and legal protection for daily wagers. Mir said that such an announcement was a big assurance for need-based, casual, and daily wagers. Mir said that the government has laid a foundation to address various concerns in the coming years.
While appreciating the budget discussion, Mir noted that some issues, like those concerning Kashmiri Pandits, were not extensively covered. However, he said that such matters could be raised during the upcoming grant discussions.
