Committee framed to decide the matter, says Dir Agri Dept
Rouf Dar
Anantnag July 06 (KINS): Seventeen years have passed, the fate of 187 contractual labourers of Anantnag and Kulgam district in the Agriculture Department hangs in balance.
There were 187 labourers working in different zones of Anantnag and Kulgam district.
Then on January 7, 2004, District Agriculture Officer Inputs issued a disbanded order for said casual labourers.
Sources told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that these labourers then moved to High Court J&K for justice.
In 2006, J&K High Court issued an order asking the government to consider the continuation of their services.
“High Court has directed the Agriculture Department several times to reconsider their case but the department did not take any steps,” one of the labourers said.
“In 2016, the government asked all 187 casual labourers for Adhaar Biometric and we provided all documents for that. After some time we saw names of only 63 out of 187 casual labourers online. While the department included names of many people into the list who were not working in the department,” he said. “If names of 187 are in a court file then why only the names of 63 genuine labourers are seen on the website,” he said.
Sources said in 2017, all drop-out casual labourers moved to High Court and the court directed for inclusion in Adhar based biometric but the said order has not been implemented yet.
In 2020, they moved to Tribunal Court Jammu. “The court also issued an order for release of wages but the department did not implement the order,” sources said.
Director Agriculture Department Kashmir Mohd Iqbal Choudhary said the government has already framed a committee to decide the matter.
“Once we receive recommendations, we will forward them to the government. If there is any court verdict, we forward that to the administrative department then comply with its instructions,” he told news agency KINS. (KINS)
