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| Not only weather, pay scales also change on crossing tunnel | | |
Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Mar 13
You talk of the regional discrimination and they say you are taking narrow considerations. But it is an riddle that whey our political elite turns blind when the scales of pay, of the penury workers and small level employees engaged by the government, change after crossing either side of Jawahar tunnel. It is not only weather which changes while entering the Valley, the conditions of life and priorities of government also change.
Not only this, the scales of pay, even the recruitment criteria, regularization and promotional avenues too go for alter on other side of the tunnel. The poor and hapless employees keep on protesting and crying for the six months when the seat of government moves down to Jammu the VIP vehicles pass through without taking even the cursory note of the problem. However, when the local political representatives talk about the pay parity on either side of the tunnel, the political elite say that local and regional issues should not be raked up when the larger issues like “Kashmir issue” are still unresolved.
Take the example of workers engaged in the Public Health Engineering department. Hundreds of youth from across the state were engaged in the department on casual basis. Later, those from the Kashmir Valley were regularized and all those from Jammu province were left. Not only this, the discrimination goes still deeper. The Jammu region based workers get Rs 500 a month while those from Kashmir are getting Rs 2200 a month.
They have met all from Chief Minister to the Junior Engineer to press for their just and genuine demand. With no one hearing them, the water workers have threatened to go on strike. By the time the strike is launched, the political elite would have returned to Kashmir for next six months.
In another such case pertaining to the Social Welfare department, the High Court has also passed directions to the government. Justice YP Nargotra in a petition filed by the Night Chowkidars of Dept of Social Welfare and Offices of ICDS Projects, challenging the class discrimination with them regarding the wages, has directed respondents if the benefit of the enhancement of the wages from Rs 800 to Rs 1500 per month conferred upon the night chowkidars in ICDS Projects Offices in Kashmir Province, has not been extended to the night chowkidars working in ICDS Projects in Jammu Province, same shall be extended forthwith to the night chowkidars of Jammu Province.
This significant judgment passed in a writ petition filed by Harbans Lal and Ors who were engaged as night chowkidars in the offices of ICDS Projects Jammu Province on consolidated pay of Rs 800/- per month from 1987 onwards, the petitioners through their Adv Surinder Kour seeking payment of wages @ fixed by the Govt in terms of minimum wages Act.
Justice YP Nargotra after hearing Adv Surinder Kour appearing for the petitioners and AAG AH Qazi appearing for the state observed that Adv Surinder Kour appearing for the petitioners produced copy of an order number 560-DSW of 2005 dated August 11, 2005 in which it has been mentioned that sanction to the enhancement of watch and ward charges of night chowkidars working in the Programme Offices, Child Development Project Officers of Kashmir Province from Rs 800 to 1500 with effect from April 2005. She further stated that petitioner is like the persons engaged in Kashmir Province are entitled to get the benefit of enhancement of wages from RS 800 to 1500 per month. Upon this Justice YP Nargotra observed that night chowkidars of Kashmir Province and night chowkidars of Jammu province are similarly situated being employees of the same dept and perform the similar duties. It would be a clear case of class discrimination, unless some order has already been passed for giving identical benefit to the night chowkidars of Jammu Province. With these observations court directed respondents to pay enhanced wages and benefit shall accrue to them from the date the benefit was conferred upon the night chowkidars of Kashmir Province with effect from April 2005. The arrears also be paid to the petitioners.
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