Jammu, March 11, 2025 – In a move set to bring relief to thousands of temporary workers, Jammu and Kashmir’s Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has declared that the government, under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, will regularize the services of daily wagers across the Union Territory. The announcement, made on Tuesday during the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session, marks a pivotal step toward addressing a decades-long demand for job security.
Choudhary’s pledge came amid fiery exchanges in the Assembly, where the issue of daily wagers has taken center stage. “The Omar government is committed to making daily wagers permanent,” he stated, responding to mounting pressure from workers and opposition voices alike. The promise follows a turbulent week, with reports from Rising Kashmir detailing police action against protesting daily wagers in Jammu on Monday, a clash that saw BJP MLAs stage a walkout after accusing the government of inaction.
The regularisation drive targets workers in sectors like public health, power, and rural development, many of whom have toiled for years—some over a decade—without benefits or stability. The issue carries legal weight too; just yesterday, on March 10, the Supreme Court criticised J&K officials for flouting a 2007 high court order to regularize rural development workers, some with 14-19 years of service. Choudhary’s announcement may signal a response to this judicial nudge.
This commitment dovetails with the government’s broader economic vision, unveiled in the ₹1.12 lakh crore 2025-26 Budget on March 7—the first since Article 370’s abrogation. While the budget spotlighted agriculture and tourism, today’s focus on labor hints at a wider reform agenda. Estimates suggest thousands could benefit, though specifics on timelines and criteria are yet to emerge.
The mood among daily wagers is cautiously upbeat. Unions, long vocal about the issue, see this as a potential breakthrough, though skepticism lingers after years of unfulfilled promises. With the Assembly session in full swing, the government faces a tightrope walk to translate words into action—and fast.