PDD employees’ regularisation | Finally, jubilant daily wagers see light at end of the tunnel

Srinagar: Bashir Ahmad’s happiness has no bounds a day after the Lieutenant Governor administration approved the roadmap for the regularisation of services of Permanent Daily Labourer (PDL) and Temporary Daily Labourer (TDL) of the Power Development Department (PDD).

Ahmad has been waiting for over a decade to see himself being regularized. He was appointed as TDL in 2005 since then he is awaiting the moment he would get a secured and permanent job.

Currently drawing monthly wages of Rs 6750, Ahmad is finding it difficult to make his ends meet and feed a family of five.

“I am highly thankful to the LG administration.Post-2019 TDL, PDL employees of PDD were disillusioned after the PDD was turned into several corporations. There was no roadmap to regularise the services of PDL, TDL employees, we had lost hope, but now this decision has brought cheer on faces of thousands of such employees who could now dream of being regularised.”

Spokesperson All J&K PDL, TDL Electrical employees union, Adeer Ahmad Wani said that they welcome this decision of the government. ” I have myself given 13 years of services and there was no roadmap vis-a-vis regularisation of TDL, PDL employees. After incorporation of corporations, employees were awaiting the roadmap for regularisation, though it has come late still we welcome it.”

Convener, Coordination Committee of Electrical Employees, Sachin Tickoo said that it was an employee-friendly decision adding that “it would pave way for the regularisation of TDL, PDL employees of the Power corporations of J&K.”

PDL, TDL employees though getting meager salaries have been at the forefront during last week’s snowfall when the power distribution system in Kashmir had suffered huge damage.

According to the government officials, the much-awaited move will positively impact regularisation, future progression of 12000 employees.

The services of work charged PDL and TDL used to be regularised against the posts of Class-IV in the Power Development Department as per the provisions provided in the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules, 1981.

However, consequent upon the complete ban on the engagement of CSLWs and adoption of the method of recruitment vide SRO – 404 of 2018, the fate of work charged employees of the Power Development Department also stuck in the doldrums, despite the fact that the government in 2012 had approved regularisation of PDL/TDL against the vacancies in the department as provided in the recruitment rules. (GK)