Regularisation – Over One Lakh Workers Await Job Security in J&K
Regularisation – More than one lakh casual and daily wage workers in Jammu and Kashmir are still waiting for clarity on their long-pending demand for regular jobs, the government told the Legislative Assembly during the ongoing session in Jammu. The information was shared in a written response to questions raised by several members of the House.
Official Data on Registered Workers
According to figures placed before the Assembly, 1,00,501 workers across various government departments in the Union Territory have been officially recorded through Aadhaar-linked biometric verification and skill profiling. The exercise was carried out to establish an updated and verified database of temporary and non-regular staff.
The registered workforce includes 69,696 casual labourers and 8,534 seasonal workers. In addition, 8,836 individuals are classified as daily rated or work-charged employees, while 3,092 are part-time staff. The list further mentions 156 CIC operators and 5,757 NYC hamals or drivers working with the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.
The data also accounts for 1,929 individuals engaged under the Hospital Development Fund, 2,153 part-time sweepers, and 348 settlement assistants serving in the Revenue Department. Officials said the categorisation was done department-wise to better assess service conditions and administrative requirements.
Regional and Departmental Distribution
A closer look at the numbers shows that 57,390 of these workers are posted in the Kashmir division, while 40,077 are working in the Jammu division. The remaining figures relate to employees serving across departments in different capacities.
Among departments, the highest concentration of such workers is in the Public Health Engineering and Irrigation & Flood Control sector, which accounts for 38,585 employees. The Power Development Department follows with 13,616 workers. The Education Department has 12,646 such employees on its rolls, while the Forest Department employs 8,317. The Public Works Department (Roads and Buildings) has 6,801 workers in similar categories.
These numbers underline the scale at which temporary and casual staff are embedded in essential public service sectors, including water supply, electricity distribution, education and infrastructure.
Government Sets Up Review Committee
Responding to queries about the regularisation of workers who have served for more than two decades, the government said a high-level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. The panel has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the issue.
According to the official reply, the committee will examine various categories of workers, applicable service rules, financial implications and relevant legal considerations. It has also been asked to assess compliance with constitutional provisions and judicial rulings that govern public employment.
The government noted that the matter involves administrative, financial and legal dimensions, which require careful scrutiny before any policy decision can be finalised. Departments concerned are being consulted as part of this detailed review process.
Awaiting a Policy Decision
The administration has indicated that once the committee submits its recommendations, the government will study the report and take further steps in accordance with legal norms and budgetary provisions.
For thousands of workers who have spent years, and in some cases decades, in temporary roles, the issue remains a matter of livelihood security. Many continue to press for early action, seeking stability and recognition for long service rendered in key government departments.
As deliberations continue, the Assembly response has brought renewed attention to the scale of the pending regularisation issue in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting both the administrative complexity and the expectations of a significant segment of the public workforce.