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| Budget disappoints chowkidars, no hike in honorarium leaves them fuming | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 19: The annual J&K budget for 2021-22 has disappointed thousands of chowkidars in the union territory, despite their repeated appeals their monthly honorarium of Rs 1500 per month has not been hiked.
It may be recalled that the chowkidars were given all the respect by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he along with several other Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders used prefix “Chowkidars” to their names.
Speaking to Early Times, President of chowkidars Association Bashir Ahmed said that they had submitted a memorandum to former J&K Governor SP Malik as well as former Lieutenant Governor of J&K, GC Murmu to enhance their monthly honorarium, which is lowest among the government workers.
“We are given Rs. 50 per day but our duties include registration of birth and death cases in jurisdiction of our Police stations, but in far flung areas, the nearest police stations are several kilometers away. It takes several hours and financial resources to get the births and deaths registered,” Ahmed said, adding that chowkdiars are often asked to accompany, Tehsildar, Patwari, Girdawar in different villages and also furnish various documents to Police as well as Revenue Department.
Another chowkidar said that earlier the Chowkidars were given uniforms twice a year which included 3.5 metres cloth of one uniform as well as sewing charges. “Now we are given 1 metre cloth a year and it takes three years to get 3 metres cloth for one uniform. Now, no sewing charges are given. Moreover we are not even given any money as Xerox charges”, he added. “When Ghulam Nabi Azad was the chief minister he hiked monthly honorarium from Rs. 225 to 500, while Omar led government enhanced it to Rs. 750, while Mehbooba led government doubled it to Rs. 1500 but after 2016, there has been no enhancement,” they said, adding that they have given repeated representations to administration to increase their monthly honorarium but their pleas have not moved anyone.
Following the repeated representations made by Chowkidars for enhancement of their salary, on 31st of January 2020, the Revenue Department had written to the Financial Commissioner (Rev) vide letter number Rev/LB/98/88-III in which several letters as well as reminders were mentioned.
The letter reads, “I am directed to invite your kind attention towards this Department’s letter dated 6/01/2020 followed by reminders dated 7/11/2019, 20/06/2019, 17/01/2019, 24/10/2018 regarding the subject cited above (representation of village Chowkidars for enhancement of honorarium) and to say that requisite information is still awaited, which may kindly be expedited without further delay.”
However after the lapse of one year, the Union Territory Administration is still discussing the matter. Vide communiqué number Div.Com/LRS/184/1100, the office of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir had invited all the Deputy Commissioners to a video conference meeting on 19/01/2021 to discuss enhancement of monthly honorarium. “We were hoping that the UT administration will forward the proposal to Central Government which will enhance the honorarium in Budget announcements but all of our hopes have been dashed,” the chowkidars said, adding that either the government should enhance the honorarium or do away with the system of chowkidars across Jammu and Kashmir. “We cannot manage our families in such a meagre amount,” they added. |
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