SRINAGAR, Oct 30: The Minister for the Jal Shakti Department, Javed Ahmad Rana, announced today that the government is considering a policy to regularize daily-wagers. This statement came during a question raised by Legislator Dr. Sajjad Shafi in the Legislative Assembly.
Rana emphasized that the department faces significant staff shortages, primarily due to the superannuation of several field employees. He stated that, currently, 125 Assistant Linemen are available, while only eight lineman positions remain vacant in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Sub-Division Uri.
To address these staffing shortages and ensure a reliable water supply, the Minister assured that interim arrangements would be made. The department will utilize the internal deployment of its existing workforce, including both regular employees and daily-wagers, to maintain operations and manage Water Supply Schemes (WSS) effectively. This strategy will remain in place until the vacant positions are filled through formal recruitment, promotion, or redeployment as per departmental regulations.
Rana’s remarks highlight the urgency of addressing labor issues within the Jal Shakti Department, which plays a crucial role in managing water resources in Jammu and Kashmir. With ongoing concerns about water supply reliability, many citizens await the government’s decision on regularizing the daily-wager workforce.
This potential policy could significantly impact the working conditions and job security of numerous daily-wagers and ensure continuous service delivery in a region where access to clean water remains a pressing need. Stakeholders are eager to see how the administration balances personnel management with operational demands in the coming months.
