61,000 daily wagers announce IIOJK Assembly gherao tomorrow
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, daily wagers have announced an Assembly gherao tomorrow (September 28) to press for the long-pending demand for regularisation of nearly 61,000 daily wagers.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, daily waters forum president Sajad Ahmad Parray said thousands of casual daily wagers have served departments for over two decades but continue to await a concrete and time-bound regularisation policy. He said the administration had constituted a committee headed by the Chief Secretary on March 11, 2025, with directions to submit recommendations and a roadmap for regularisation within six months.
Parray also referred to the assurance given by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Legislative Assembly on April 1, 2026, in response to a question by Kulgam MLA Mohammad YousufTarigami, that the regularisation process would be initiated in a phased manner during the current financial year.
“Despite the passage of considerable time, there is no clarity regarding the committee’s report or a concrete roadmap for regularisation,” Parray said. He said the government’s recent response in the Assembly had disappointed thousands of affected workers and their families, alleging that repeated assurances without a clearly defined implementation mechanism had deepened uncertainty.
Parray said the issue is not merely about employment but has wider humanitarian and social dimensions, as thousands of families depend on these workers. He appealed to political parties, trade unions, religious leaders, civil society organisations and all sections of society to join the September 28 protest and extend solidarity to the workers and their families.
“The daily wagers have spent the most productive years of their lives serving the people and the government. Their long-pending demand deserves a time-bound and humane resolution,” he said. He also appealed to the Grand Mufti IIOJK and the religious community to raise the issue and highlight its humanitarian dimension.
