BJP Slams Omar Govt for Delaying Daily-Wagers’ Regularisation • CM Omar Abdullah Appeals for End to Strike, Assures Resolution
BJP Walks Out of J&K Assembly Amid Heated Debate on Daily-Wagers’ Strike
CM Omar Abdullah Assures Resolution, Appeals for End to Protests
Jammu, Mar 26: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed unruly scenes on Tuesday as BJP legislators staged a walkout, accusing the Omar Abdullah-led government of neglecting the plight of protesting daily-wagers.
The ruckus erupted after Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma raised concerns over the ongoing strike by daily-wage workers, particularly those in the Jal Shakti (PHE) department, which has led to a severe water crisis in the region. Sharma slammed the government for failing to address their demands for wages and regularization.
“The government remains unresponsive despite repeated mentions in the House. The daily-wagers are struggling for their basic rights, yet the administration continues to ignore their plight,” Sharma said.
As the debate intensified, BJP MLAs accused the government of insensitivity, while members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and AAP MLA Mehraj Malik countered by blaming the BJP for failing to resolve the issue during their tenure. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather struggled to restore order as verbal clashes escalated.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary accused the BJP of political opportunism, stating, “The BJP had years to address this issue but failed. The NC-led government is actively working to find a solution.” He added that a committee had been formed under the chief secretary to examine the issue.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah remained composed amid the chaos, directly questioning BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma on why the issue remained unresolved when he was the PHE minister. “If the BJP was so concerned about daily-wagers, why didn’t they regularize them when they were in power?” Abdullah asked.
He reassured the Assembly that his government was committed to resolving the issue and urged the protesting workers to call off their strike. “We have set up a committee to find a permanent solution. I appeal to the daily-wagers to give us time to implement the recommendations,” he added.
Despite his assurances, BJP MLAs walked out of the Assembly, vowing to expose the government’s handling of the issue in a press conference.
Outside the Assembly, protests continued as hundreds of daily-wagers attempted to march toward the civil secretariat for the fifth consecutive day. Police resorted to mild lathi charges to disperse the demonstrators, who later staged a sit-in at Shalimar Chowk.
The strike has worsened the water crisis, with daily-wagers playing a crucial role in maintaining water supply services. According to estimates, around 61,000 daily-wagers are employed across various government departments in J&K, making their demand for regularization a critical issue.
The Omar Abdullah-led government now faces mounting pressure to resolve the crisis as both political and public tensions escalate.
