Amendment In SRO-202

AIP Hails Admin, Says New Adopted Policy In Consonance With Justice Hanjura Recommendations

Srinagar, Jun 17: Awami Itehad Party (AIP) on Thursday has welcomed the amendment of SRO-202 by administration even as maintaining the new adopted policy is in consonance with the recommendations of Justice M.K Hanjura.

In a statement issued here, a party spokesman remarked that the amendment of SRO-202 was acutely necessary for welfare of employees community in Jammu Kashmir.

“Since the application of SRO-202 in 2015, the policy was widely termed as discriminatory and anti-youth. It contravened Minimum Wages Act and was in violation to the observation of Supreme Court on Equal Pay For Equal Work rule, the statement reads.

The now-amended policy, as per the statement, served as a discouraging factor for employees as there were pay anomalies for same posts along with three years extra probation period as compared to other places. These rules also prescribed that during probation, appointee would be entitled to only the basic pay and not any of the allowances.

“Denial of due increment to such employees was not only discriminatory but would have a dispiriting effect and lead to gross pay anomalies in future”, the statement reads.

“In December 2019, Law Commission headed by retired Justice M K Hanjura had recommended reduction in probation period from five to two years under SRO-202”, the statement reads.

“We appreciate the decision on long pending demands of employees and urge the current administration to look into the issues faced by thousands of daily wagers, casual laborers who have been suffering from decades and have not be regularized. Some of the employees recruited in early 1990’s have served for decades in their respective departments but are still awaiting regularization”, the statement reads.

“The present administration must take notice of problems faced by daily wagers who have always been at forefront in providing their services, shouldering responsibilities across government departments in trying times without fail”, the statement reads.

The party has meanwhile also urged Lieutenant Governor-led administration to relook into the notification which cites lack of proper educational qualification as a ground for denying legitimate postings to casual laborers, daily wagers when no such pre-conditions existed at the time of their appointments.