Casual labourers’ engagement ‘row’ in agri department

Srinagar: J&K State Agriculture department has come under severe criticism for engaging casual labourers in official work. Even the procedure to engage casual labourers is being questioned by close watchers on the functioning of the department. Remarkably, the government has put a blanket ban on employing such workforce.

This correspondent contacted the Director Agriculture and asked him about the state of affairs as far as engaging casual labourers by the department is concerned.  “Our department is having a vast field operation and for this we need manpower. The department is short of staff and we are forced to engage casual labourers from the market. We are conscious of the government ban on employing such workforce. But how can we run our field operations when there is dearth of proper staff for such type of jobs,” said the director and further said, “This is done, however, done on seasonal basis and is absolutely a normal precedence.”

Responding to the query that these casual labourers have access to official records, which is not allowed under rules, the director was quick to deny such allegation. “The casual labourers don’t have access to official documents.”

He added: “Let me tell you that there is another government order which prevents departments to attach any employee who is under transfer. All our employees who are under transfer have been relived to their new place of postings. This too has created gaps in our manpower planning. To fill these gaps purely for the purpose of getting our field operations done well on time, we have to bank upon casual labourers. I assure you that it is purely done on need basis.”

Since casual labourers engaged by the department are said to have access to official documents, the observers have been calling it too risky. When asked about this issue, the director said, “They are absolutely trustworthy. Let me tell you that they are not engaged to handle any official work in offices or handle any official document. Only one percent of them are handling the job of a peon, otherwise 99 percent of them are fully engaged in field operations, where they are needed the most.”

The director made it clear that for every action, we seek prior approval from the higher authorities. “Nothing is done arbitrarily. Our wish and will doesn’t prevail over rules governing the operations of this department.