Jammu, Sep 21: The Jammu and Kashmir government has informed the Legislative Assembly that a high-level committee is examining the legal and financial feasibility of regularizing thousands of temporary and casual workers, even as it disclosed that over 53,000 posts are lying vacant across various departments in the Union Territory.
In a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone (Wagoora-Kreeri ) during the autumn Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly, the General Administration Department (GAD) as per Kashmir Convener stated that the committee, constituted via Government Order No. 384-JK(GAD) of 2025 dated March 19, 2025, is undertaking a comprehensive examination of the matter.
The government clarified that the issue of regularization encompasses a diverse set of workers, including daily-rated workers (DRWs), casual, seasonal, and other temporary employees engaged under varying terms across different departments.
“The proposed policy is required to conform to applicable statutory provisions, legal positions, and the prescribed recruitment framework while duly accounting for consequential financial implications,” the GAD reply stated.
The Committee is tasked with formulating a uniform, legally enforceable framework that is administratively implementable across all departments. The government noted that consultations with concerned departments regarding administrative, legal, and financial perspectives are required before a final policy decision is taken.
Addressing concerns regarding payment of wages, the government asserted that DRWs and Casual Seasonal Labourers (CSLWs) are being paid “as per Minimum Wages notified by the Government.”
Over 53,000 Vacancies Identified
In a significant disclosure, the government provided a breakdown of sanctioned vacancies available under the Direct Recruitment Quota. According to reply, a total of 53,972 posts are currently vacant. This includes 3,318 Gazetted posts, 24,427 Non-Gazetted posts, and 12,927 MTS posts.
The Health and Medical Education Department holds the highest number of vacancies (2,125 Gazetted and 8,064 Non-Gazetted), followed by the Agriculture Production Department and the Home Department.
To expedite the filling of these posts, the government stated it has taken several measures, including timely identification and referral of vacancies to recruiting agencies like the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB).
The documents further detailed the volume of posts referred to recruiting agencies to speed up the hiring process: 2,150 posts were referred to the J&K PSC during the last two years, with the Health and Medical Education Department accounting for 794 of these referrals.
11,582 posts were referred to the JKSSB during the year 2024.
2025 Referrals: A total of 6,340 posts have been referred to the JKSSB in the year 2025 so far, with the Home Department (2,766) and Finance Department (1,217) leading the referrals.
The government emphasized that it is utilizing technology to expedite recruitment and has issued directions to all departments for the timely referral of vacancies falling under the direct quota, as per SRO-166 of 2005 and Circular No. 01-JK(GAD) of 2024.
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