SRO-520: Govt notifies rules for regularization of casuals
Jammu: In a significant initiative which will provide major relief to thousands of daily-rated, casual, seasonal and other such workers, the Government has issued the much-awaited notification to formally set into motion the process for their regularization.
“Jammu & Kashmir Casual and Other Workers – Regular Engagement Rules 2017” outlined in SRO-520 issued by the Finance Department last evening will benefit nine categories of such appointees including daily-rated, casual, seasonal, HDF (Hospital Development Fund) and local fund workers, NYCs, land donorsand ad-hoc/contractual appointees left-out under the J&K Civil Services (special provisions) Act 2010 for want of eligibility criteria. The policy will also take care of ITI trained workers engaged by various Departments.
“During the previous budget session, the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti made a commitment on the floor of the House that the process for regularization of casual workers of various categories, whose fate was hanging in balance for decades, will start from the next financial year and today we have fulfilled that commitment,” said Dr Haseeb Drabu, Minister for Finance.
According to the SRO-520, these workers will be categorized as Skilled and Non-Skilled on the basis of their educational, technical and professional profile, for regularization and the remuneration will be commensurate with the length of their engagement.
The regularization process would begin immediately and on regularization they shall be designated as Government Services Assistants (GSA). They will be entitled to all the financial and service benefits including annual increment, pension under NPS, leave and medical reimbursement, periodical hike in remuneration akin to pay commission, maintenance of service records and will be covered under work, conduct and discipline rules, including retirement.
The skilled workers whose period of engagement is above 10 years and upto 15 years would be initially entitled to remuneration of Rs 13000 per month, while those having more than 15 years of engagement period and upto 20 years would get Rs 18000 per month. Those skilled workers who have worked for over 20 years would get monthly remuneration of Rs 24000.
The Un-Skilled workers whose period of engagement is above 10 years and upto 15 years would be initially entitled to remuneration of Rs 10000 per month, while those having more than 15 years of engagement period and upto 20 years would get Rs 15000 per month. Those un-skilled workers who have worked for over 20 years would get monthly remuneration of Rs 20000.
The cut-off date for regularization, as per the SRO, has been set 17.03.2015, when the powers to make such engagements were withdrawn by the Government.
KV Correspondent
