Uploaded list of casual Labourers by Govt raises eyebrows, created confusions

Many Genuine Contenders Left Out For Want of Aadhar; Some Names In List Not Bona Fide

The lists of casual and other labourers working in various govern­ment departments uploaded by Finance Department on its official website has cre­ated confusion among various daily-rated workers, who have urged the authorities to come clear on the matter.

On 18 January 2018, Finance Depart­ment uploaded a department-wise list of daily-rated workers under the title “Aadhar based skill profiling of causal labourers and others”. Later, some of the persons circulat­ed this list on social networking sites, claim­ing government has regularized the services of these labourers who appear in the record.

However, government was quick to clar­ify that no such official lists have yet been formulated or finalized by the government.

But what has caused concern among vari­ous daily rated workers, is that some of them could not submit their Aadhar numbers before the authorities concerned, thus their names didn’t appear in the list uploaded by the department.

Shabir Ahmad Deenda of Raiyar in Khan Sahib tehsil of Budgam district said he was engaged in forest department as need-based worker in March 2011. “We were asked to submit Aadhar card numbers and the dead­line was 31 June 2017. At that time, my Aadhar number was not generated as was also the case with various other people in my locality. I only got it in October 2017,” he said.

He added that later, he submitted the Aadhar card copy before the concerned authorities in forest department. “But author­ities in forest department are telling that they

are unable to forward my Aadhar number to authorities concerned as the deadline for submitting the same has expired,” he said.

He added that he was mentally disturbed as finance department uploaded the list in which his name didn’t appear. Deenda is presently engaged as need-based worker at Raiyar Tangnar falling under Raithan range in Budgam. The department has also issued him identify card and engagement letter.

Similarly, a group of casual labourers alleged that they have found some of the names in the uploaded list whom they don’t know and who have never worked in the department.

Some of them also claimed that they could not submit copy of Aadhar card earlier as it was then not generated.

“There is lot confusion and the uploaded list has given us reason to worry. There are names of some persons in the list, who have never worked in the department, while as among those who are working in the depart­ment but have failed to submit Aadhar card copies earlier have been left-out in the uploaded list,” they said adding that the government must come clear on the matter.

When contacted, principal secretary finance, Navin K Choudhary told Greater Kashmir that he had already spoken a lot on this. “I have nothing to say on this (now). The departments have forwarded lists, the onus lies on them (If anyone has been left-out in profiling). The (uploaded) list is yet to be verified (by the government),” he said.

“We will take call when departments will come up with such proposal (that some casual labourers have been left-out),” he said while replying to a query.