Bivek Mathur
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 3: Notwithstanding labour laws that fix minimum wages to be paid to different categories of workers in the state, government has itself become biggest exploiter. In a matter of shame, the contingent workers hired in the Education Department for need based work are yet being paid a minimal amount of Rs. 0.27, 0.54 Per Day accumulating their income to Rs. 100 or 200 Per Annum. Imagine survival with this amount!
Despite knowing the fact that prices of the basic commodities are escalating perpetually, the Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir Government has no plan for the Contingent paid workers who have given 12-15 years of their life in service of the department.
Early Times has some documents from the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO), Jourian with list of over 35 contingent workers who are being paid the same amount for the last over 15 years and are yet not being regularized against the available vacancies in the Department.
A social activist wishing anonymity said that for petty political gains, these contingent paid workers are hired for their services in Government Schools all across the state and assured to be regularized but after changes in the government, neither their honorarium is increased nor they are considered for regularization despite having work experience.
Director School Education, Jammu, Yasha Mudgal, when contacted, said, there is no contingent paid worker in Education Department and whosoever is getting Rs. 100, 150 or 200 are calling themselves as contingent paid workers. "In fact it is a nomenclature mistake", she said.
Director School Education, Kashmir, Showkat Ahmad Baigh, when contacted by Early Times, said that contingent paid workers are being regularized time to time as per their order of seniority in the department and there is 50% quota for their regularization as and when new vacancies are advertised for the post of orderlies, peon, helpers and other fourth class jobs.
"A proposal for increasing the remuneration of contingent paid workers have been sent to the administrative department by the Education Department", he added.
Several attempts were made to contact Minister for Education, Nayeem Akhtar, Commissioner Secretary, Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir, Shaleen Kabra but no one responded to repeated calls. |
