Over one lakh daily wagers in IIOJK left in limbo amid official apathy
Authorities fail to submit report even after 8 months, workers decry ‘betrayal’
Srinagar: The plight of over one lakh daily wagers in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues as the authorities’ promises of regularisation remain buried under bureaucratic apathy and endless committee reviews.
According to Kashmir Media Service, despite repeated assurances, the high-level committee constituted in March 2025 under the Chief Secretary to examine the legal, financial, and humanitarian aspects of regularising daily-rated and casual workers has failed to submit its report even after eight months.
The delay has triggered frustration among employees who say the administration is deliberately stalling the process. “The Chief Minister had set a six-month deadline for the report, yet nothing has moved. This silence is deliberate neglect,” said Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) President, Wajahat Hussain.
He said around 61,000 workers were already scrutinised by a Cabinet Sub-Committee in 2014, yet the government keeps inflating numbers to avoid accountability. “These are not ghost entries; these are real workers who have served for decades. Their regularisation is their right, not a favour,” he asserted.
Official data shows that 1,00,501 casual and daily-rated employees are registered through an Aadhaar-based biometric system, with the highest numbers in Public Health Engineering, Power Development, Forest, and Public Works departments.
Despite verified records, there is still no clear policy for regularisation. The EJAC has demanded immediate clearance of scrutinised cases and payment of minimum wages equal to those in Ladakh until the process is completed.
Observers say the prolonged inaction exposes the insensitivity of the Indian-installed administration toward Kashmiri workers who sustain essential services across the occupied territory. Many see it as part of a larger pattern of exploitation and disregard for Kashmiri labour rights under Indian rule.
