Aijaz Ahmed Khan seeks comprehensive regularization policy for contractual employees of MGNREGA & IWMP in J&K
Reasi, Aug 19: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) senior leader and former minister Aijaz Ahmed Khan has appealed to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to formulate comprehensive regularization policy for the contractual employees working in two wings of Rural Development Department (RDD).
In a statement to the press, Aijaz Ahmed Khan said that these contractual employees are the only supporting staff which implements MGNREGA Scheme on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Their regularization will empower the Panchayats which require implementing the schemes effectively, said Khan.
The JKAP senior leader said that these contractual employees in MGNREGA have become a channel through which the Government implements various schemes at the Panchayat level.
He said that even the Panchayat elections were held successfully with the help of these contractual MGNREGA employees.
“Their contribution cannot be ignored at the time of crises when the nation is fighting against COVID-19, they are helping Panchayats to remain covid free in their respective blocks and follow covid protocols,” said the former minister.
Even as the department is facing shortage of employees, he said, these MGNREGA employees have been working in different capacities in the department as data entry operators, technical engineers etc and in some places; they hold various other positions to monitor effective implementation of the schemes.
Being a basic source of implementing schemes at Panchayat level, the JKAP senior leader said that the Government should frame a detailed strategy to end their suffering by regularizing them in the department.
Besides their regularization, he said that the RDD requires more supporting staff and the Government should also make a policy in this regard.
Referring to the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) employees, he said that the contractual employees of RDD have been working from the last eight long years and they should be regularized.
“Many of them have become over aged. The Government should make a comprehensive policy for their regularization in the department recognizing their services,” said the former minister.
The contractual employees working in IWMP include District Level Technical Experts, Watershed Development Team members and Data Entry Operators and they are mainly handling the working of the department.
Requesting the Lt Governor of J&K to chalk-out comprehensive regularization policy for these contractual employees, the senior leader of JKAP said that the Government should hold talks with the aggrieved MGNREGA and IWMP contractual employees of RDD by accepting their genuine demands like regularization.
