Jammu, Apr 2: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday informed the Legislative Assembly that its Labour and Employment Department has created “Nil” jobs under the outsourcing model through third-party agencies, even as other departments reported engaging over 4,000 personnel on contractual terms.
In a written reply to National Conference leader and MLA Uri, Dr Sajjad Shafi, the Minister Incharge of the Labour and Employment Department stated that the department does not create or maintain any posts under the outsourcing model for central or state-sponsored schemes.
“The Department primarily facilitates registration of job seekers and provides employment-related services and, therefore, does not directly generate employment under outsourced arrangements. Accordingly, the number of jobs created… in respect of the Labour & Employment Department is ‘Nil’,” the reply said.
However, data furnished by other departments painted a different picture of outsourced engagements. The Health and Medical Education Department reported the highest number with 2,143 personnel, followed by the Social Welfare Department with 1,957 jobs across its directorates including Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti.
The School Education Department engaged 748 Cluster Resource Coordinators under Samagra Shiksha for the academic session 2025-26, while the Animal/Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries Sector engaged 105 personnel, including 29 veterinary doctors and 50 drivers.
The government clarified that all such engagements are purely contractual, made through empanelled third-party service providers, and do not establish any employer-employee relationship with the government.
“The responsibility for payment of wages and compliance with statutory labour laws rests with the concerned outsourcing agency/service provider,” the reply stated.
On the issue of wage revision, the government informed the House that the Jammu and Kashmir Minimum Wages Act, 1948, now stands subsumed under the Code on Wages, 2019, which came into force in the Union Territory from November 21, 2025.
“Consequently, the question of amending the erstwhile Minimum Wages Act does not arise,” the reply said.
The Labour Department said it is in the advanced stage of finalising rules under the new Code. Upon notification of the rules and determination of the national floor wage by the Government of India, minimum rates of wages in the UT shall be examined and revised strictly in accordance with the Code.
The government asserted that compliance with notified minimum wages is mandatory upon service providers, and the Labour Department’s enforcement machinery ensures adherence to statutory wage norms.
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