JAMMU, Mar 11: In a step forward to resolve the issue of daily wagers hanging for past several years, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today announced constitution of a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary to get exact numbers of such workers and then finalize legal and financial roadmap which will be discussed in next year’s budget.
He made the all-important announcement during his reply to three days debate on budget in the Legislative Assembly this afternoon.
At the same time, Omar, who holds charge of the Finance Department and presented his maiden budget in the Legislature on March 7, took previous PDP-BJP Government to task for doing nothing for daily wagers except for regularization of just 570 workers against then anticipated numbers of 61,000 during over three years of their Government followed by the Central rule which closed all door of regularization with abolition of SRO 520.
In his over 50 minutes reply to the debate, Omar announced constitution of high powered committee to be headed by the Chief Secretary and comprising Additional Chief Secretary in Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), and Administrative Secretaries of Planning, General Administration Department and Law which will get the numbers and finalize framework for daily wagers and then legal and financial aspects will be looked into.
“And the policy will be discussed when I present next budget,’’ he said.
This indicates that the Government will finalize roadmap on daily wagers within a year.
“We want to reassure the daily-rated workers, ad-hoc, and casual workers that we have not forgotten them. I am announcing the Committee in front of the Assembly. We will be issuing the official order today after my budget speech,” Omar said amidst thumping of desks by the treasury benches.
He noted that the Law Department has a key role to play after the Supreme Court’s judgment on the issue.
“They will be asked to prepare a framework within six months. They should fix the figures. After assessing all aspects, including legal and financial, they should prepare a roadmap on how to proceed,’’ the Chief Minister said.
Targeting PDP-BJP coalition Government which ruled Jammu and Kashmir from 2015-18, Omar read out several paragraphs from their budget speeches which expressed helplessness in resolving issues of the daily wagers.
“In one of the budgets, they mentioned the choice is to give 7th Pay Commission benefits to Government employees or intent to start regularization of daily wagers. A month ahead of another budget they brought SRO 520 but out of 61,000 presumed number of daily wagers, only 570 were regularized. And whatever possibility for regularization of daily wagers was left it too was over with abolition of SRO 420 about two years back,’’ the Chief Minister said and took a dig at the BJP benches for asking his Government but it has done for the daily wagers.
He said though previous budget put number of daily wagers at 61,000, the Government figures revealed the number is much more.
He acknowledged the plight of daily wagers and ad-hoc workers, calling their struggle a “social and humanitarian issue” rather than just a financial matter for the Government.
“BJP member Balwant Singh Mankotia asked why the situation reached this point. I, too, wonder why things turned out this way for them. I admit that we did nothing, and that is precisely why we lost in 2014,” he said.
He mentioned that his Government had taken steps to regularize these workers but could not complete the process. “We had finalised the procedure and numbers, but it could not happen. After that, when you came into power, what did you do?” he asked the Opposition, BJP.
Declaring a fresh start, Omar announced, “We are starting from zero. There is neither an SRO nor any framework in place for it.”
He reiterated his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for supporting Jammu and Kashmir financially.
“Why should I not thank the persons who support us? I reiterate my thanks to the PM, HM and FM for the support,’’ the Chief Minister said amidst thumping of benches by the BJP MLAs.
Referring to the BJP MLAs’ statements that everything to J&K is paid by the Government of India, he said: “I admit we are not financially independent but we are trying to set the things right. One of yours budget (PDP-BJP Government) had mentioned that the Finance Minister had to go to New Delhi with begging bowl’’.
Omar said for Rs 35,000 crore capital expenditure (development works); the Government has to spend Rs 70,000 crore on revenue (salaries).
“Any private company will collapse in such a scenario. Definitely, we need budgetary support from the Centre,’’ he said but added that the Government is now focusing on power sector, Industrial Estates, tourism, Startups, Entrepreneurship and various other sectors and taking initiatives so that the situation changes in next five years and we don’t have to go to New Delhi.
“At least a beginning has been made in this direction,’’ the Chief Minister said.
He took the BJP to task on its slogan of ‘Double Engine Sarkaar (Government)’.
Referring to BJP MLA from Kishtwar Shagun Parihar’s statement in the Assembly that Kishtwar has only one e-bus and how it will benefit the women in terms of free ride announcement of the Government made in the budget, Omar said you (the BJP) refer to double engine (sarkaar). The Government at the Centre is yours and J&K was too governed by the Centre till few months back.
“However, our Government will increase numbers of the buses. At least a beginning has been made,’’ he said.
He dispelled the impression that the Centrally Sponsored Schemes are implemented free of cost. The States have to contribute a lot of funds in such schemes. Referring to Golden Card scheme in Health, he said the Centre bears cost of only BPL families and Government has to pay for free treatment of others.
On MLAs’ queries that what has changed, the Chief Minister said the budget of Jammu and Kashmir was introduced in the Legislative Assembly after seven years is a change.
“No document is perfect but at least the budget is being discussed in the Assembly and not Parliament. Everyone listened to it here. The MLAs discussed the budget and not MPs. You will pass the budget here and not the Parliament after long time. We decided to give voice to the people, restore their dignity and empowered them,’’ he asserted.
Omar said the Government has started taking steps for change. “We have taken off with drop of water and will present sea before the people in next five years’’.
He termed the budget as the foundation of a robust future for Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that his Government never said it would fulfil everything in the first budget itself.
Dismissing criticism that his Government’s budget is pessimistic, he said, “If I were truly pessimistic, I would have said the wounds are so deep that death is the only solution, or that there is no balm available. But instead, I acknowledged the wounds and said we will apply balm where it is needed.”
“The body has wounds, and we must decide where to apply the healing balm.”
He emphasized the financial constraints of the Union Territory, saying “if we had enough funds, our situation would have been different today. Do I have the money to take over all power projects and start work immediately? No. Can I provide free electricity to everyone? No. We don’t even have the budget to ensure uninterrupted 24-hour electricity.”
Highlighting the budget’s approach, Omar said “there is a saying ‘cut your coat according to your cloth’. That is what we have done. We did not make unrealistic promises. We did not exaggerate.”
Referring to opposition comments that his speeches were being labelled as “love letters”, Omar said “whenever I speak, they call it a love letter. Fine, what can I do? If my budget speech is also being called a love letter, then so be it.”
He further said, “Yes, it is a love letter to the BJP. It is a love letter to the Congress. It is a love letter to the National Conference, PDP, the People’s Conference, CPIM, and Independents. Most importantly, it is a love letter to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Defending his sentiment, he said, “Why do you write a love letter? It is meant to express love. And yes, I love the people of Jammu and Kashmir immensely. I try my best to contribute to their well-being. I am not ashamed of writing a love letter. If God keeps me alive, I will continue writing this love letter for the next five years.”
He said the Government carefully formulated this budget to ensure that social measures do not have an adverse impact on the people. “This budget will not lead to massive inflation.”
On his party’s election promises, he said, “We remember them better than anyone else. We are committed to fulfilling every single one of them.”
Terming the budget as the foundation of a robust future for J&K, he said, “We never said we would fulfil everything in the first budget itself. We said we would lay a strong foundation. That was the purpose of this budget — to send a message to the people that we have not forgotten anything. We stand firm on our promises.”
He justified prioritizing the poor, and said, “We started by helping the poorest. Did we make a mistake? Should we have helped the richest first instead? Just as when building a house, you start with a solid foundation, we have begun in the same way. Over time, this structure will take shape.”
Omar also took a swipe at opposition BJP member Balwant Mankotia.
“Like an opening batsman, he stepped onto the field, fully prepared — gloves on, helmet on. But soon, I got confused. He stepped onto a cricket field but started playing football instead. The discussion was on the budget, but he spent 20 minutes on political talk and only five minutes addressing the budget,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that after the Governor’s speech, he did not respond immediately.
“But when I finally did, I heard that things got tense. Apparently, the principal opposition party faced a lot of criticism. Their leaders from New Delhi and here, too, pulled them up for allowing us to change the narrative,” he said.
Defending his Government’s budget, he said it accommodated most welfare measures, particularly for women. “We started this budget by ensuring benefits for the underprivileged sections. Should we have started with the rich instead?”
