CM announces committee to prepare roadmap for daily wagers’ regularisation

Jammu, Mar 11: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday announced the constitution of a committee to chalk out a road map for regularisation of daily wagers, adhoc and casual employees, to meet another poll promise made in his party manifesto.

He made this announcement in the Legislative Assembly while replying to the general discussion on J&K budget 2025-26 – his maiden as the Finance Minister - presented on March 7, 2025.

However, this significant announcement was not made by him before he went full throttle to corner his political adversaries quoting their promises and commitments made in their budget speeches.

This committee will comprise the Chief Secretary as chairperson and will have Additional Chief Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO); Planning Secretary, GAD Secretary and Law Secretary as its members.

The committee has been given six-months’ time to fix the number of daily wagers and finalise the process after carefully analysing legal and financial implications.

The Chief Minister said that the PDP-BJP government only regularised 570 daily wagers during its tenure in 2017-18 out of over 61000 through SRO 520 which was annulled two years ago, closing all doors.

CM Omar said he would like to start his reply to debate on the budget with the issue which triggered arguments in the House during the day and he intervened also.

“I would start with our adhoc, daily wagers about whom during my intervention in the House had stated that theirs was a social, humanitarian issue. Though for the government, it is a financial matter yet for them it is entirely a different matter. I would not again rake up issues related to what happened with them yesterday. However, while referring to cane-charge on daily wagers, (Balwant Singh) Mankotia Sahab had asked – 'Why has the situation reached such an extent?'” the Chief Minister said.

He said he even wanted to know the answer to this query. “It’s good you’ve asked; we too want to know this. We came to power just four-and-a-half months ago. We were out of power for over ten years. I agree – we did nothing. That’s why we faced defeat in 2014. We had prepared a system to regularise them. But in those floods, we got drowned and so did their regularisation (plan). I admit – we could not do it,” the Chief Minister said.

He said Sham Lal Sharma and S S Slathia knew how much preparations were done to accomplish this task. “We had finalized the number and process. But that could not be done as we were defeated. Then you (the PDP-BJP alliance) came to power. But what did you do?” he threw a poser.

He said he tried to dig deeper to find out what the PDP-BJP government did for this cause. “I got all your budget speeches in which you made promises to these daily wagers. In the first (2015) budget speech, para 173, 174 and 175 first explained why you could not do it (regularisation). ‘If the entire lot of such workers is regularised the financial implications shall work out to Rs 1925 Cr per annum approximately.’ Then a committee was constituted,” the Chief Minister said while reading out budget speeches of the previous (PDP-BJP alliance) government.

He said he presumed there would be forward movement in their (PDP-BJP government’s) next budget speech, after the constitution of the committee. Omar noted that the 2016-17 budget speech only mentioned that a high-powered committee was constituted and the government wanted to do something for them (daily wagers).

“Then nothing happened. The 2017-18 budget speech talked about two options -either to implement the 7th Pay Commission or regularise daily wagers. It mentioned that succumbing to the pressure created by employees, the 7th Pay Commission would be implemented and regularisation would not be done. The then Finance Minister then said in his budget speech - ‘Over the course of the next financial year, I intend to start the process of regularisation of casual workers.’ It was only in the fourth budget which saw forward movement foreseeing electoral compulsions,” Omar took a dig at the opposition benches.

He recalled that a month before their (PDP-BJP) government’s) fourth budget in January, an SRO 520 was issued in December. Then the 4th budget mentioned that a comprehensive policy was put in place and the implementation would ensure sustainable livelihood for them (daily wagers), the Chief Minister remarked. He added mockingly, “However, how many people were regularised – just 570. Though the budget speech mentioned the number (of daily wagers) was around 61000.”

The Chief Minister reminisced that on May 18, 2018, the (PDP-BJP) government collapsed. “You (BJP) pulled out and Mehbooba Mufti lost the chair of the Chief Minister. That SRO should have continued as it was the government policy. But it did not happen. Then two years ago, that SRO was cancelled in the light of the J&K Reorganisation Act, closing the door of regularisation. But you did not say anything. Now you ask us- why these people (daily wagers) came on roads,” he again took on BJP directly.

The Chief Minister pointed out as there was no SRO for regularisation, no framework at present, it became a compulsion for his government to start the exercise afresh.

“During all these years, their number would have changed. In the present scenario, it would be difficult to enter into an agreement – vis-à-vis their (daily wagers’) number. That budget speech had mentioned the number as around 61000 but the government figures are quite high. Therefore, we are starting this process from zero. Today at least, to give an avowed assurance to those daily rated workers, casual, adhoc workers that we have not forgotten them and we are doing an exercise on this account – through this House, I want to announce the constitution of a committee,” CM Omar declared.

He said that after his budget speech, a formal order would also be issued and the matter would be entrusted to the Chief Secretary (as chairperson).

“This committee will have the Chief Secretary; Additional Chief secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office’ Planning Secretary, GAD Secretary and Law Secretary because the Law (department) has a big role to play on this account, following the Supreme Court’s judgement. They will be given six months to prepare a framework,” the Chief Minister remarked.

Explaining the mandate of the committee, he said, “First, they will have to finalise numbers through GAD and then study legal and financial implications to move forward to accomplish the task. The committee will be tasked to prepare a road map so that in the next budget (speech), I’m in a position to lay this plan before this House.”

Later, speaking to media persons outside the House, the Chief Minister reiterated that the committee was formed with a deadline of six months to complete the exercise. The plan or policy finalised would be presented in the next budget, he said.

NOTHING BIGGER THAN HOUSE (LA)

Earlier at the very outset of his reply, the Chief Minister said that there was nothing bigger than the House for him.

“There is nothing bigger than this House. You are the custodian of this House. If you want to convene a session of the House again after lunch, I’ll have no problem. I apologise but we (the government) have some other responsibilities as well,” CM Omar told the Chair as a rejoinder to his (Speaker’s remarks).

Speaker A R Rather, while trying to cajole members, who kept on persisting to speak during general discussion despite his (Speaker’s) assurance to give them adequate opportunities during discussions on demands for grants, had stated, “The Chief Minister has some other pressing engagements as well. He has to leave for Gulmarg to be part of the Khelo India Winter Games closing ceremony. Therefore, we cannot extend the timing of the discussion. He (CM) has some other bigger works and duties also to perform.”

“I won’t have any problem. You just give me the exact time, Last time also, Mera Qatra Qatra Badta Gaya (my reply was delayed as discussion time was extended,” the Chief Minister told the Chair.

“You won’t have any other engagements right now but we (the government) have. Sajad Sahab is asking – what is (other) responsibility? I’ve to catch a flight. I’ve to go to Srinagar. I’ve to go to Gulmarg to be part of the closing ceremony of the Khelo India Games,” CM retorted while addressing the opposition members who were interjecting time and again.

The Peoples Conference MLA made some remarks again. This irked the Chief Minister. “Everything is not a joke. I have a visiting Union Minister. We have the National Khelo India Games. It’s not a joke. Ok! Sajad, listen to me, we can make jokes out of everything. This is not a joke. Anyhow, I leave it to the Chair to decide the timing for my reply,” Omar snapped.