Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that the government will initiate the process of regularising daily-rated, ad hoc, and other temporary employees in a legally and financially sustainable manner in 2026. The move comes alongside efforts to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts across government departments this year.
Addressing the Assembly during the discussion on departmental grants and cut motions, Abdullah acknowledged that the issue of temporary workers has persisted for decades. “These employees have been struggling for 20, 30, and even 40 years. No government has been able to fully resolve the issue,” he said.
He added that a committee under the Chief Secretary has been constituted to examine the matter and ensure that any policy framed avoids legal or financial roadblocks. “Once the committee submits its report and the groundwork is completed in a transparent manner, we will place everything before the people,” Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister emphasized that regularisation cannot be achieved overnight. “I am not willing to mislead these employees by merely signing a paper without proper preparation,” he noted, adding that the total number of workers to be regularised — whether 70,000, 80,000, or one lakh — will be determined according to a proper timetable.
Currently, over one lakh daily wagers and casual labourers are engaged across various departments in Jammu and Kashmir. The registered workforce includes:
- 69,696 casual labourers
- 8,836 daily-rated workers
- 8,534 seasonal labourers
- 5,757 food and civil supplies helpers
- 2,153 part-time sweepers
- 1,929 hospital development fund employees
On employment generation, Abdullah clarified the distinction between the creation of posts and actual appointments. While the government has created posts, it has already filled around 6,000–6,500 positions and aims to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts this year without creating additional positions.
He assured the Assembly that all recruitments will be conducted in a transparent and time-bound manner, coordinated with the Selection Board and Public Service Commission, to avoid legal challenges that have derailed past recruitment drives.
