KNB News Desk
Srinagar 23 September (KNB): Several labourers from Central Kashmir’s Budgam alleged their beneficiary cards — helping them to meet their requirements via financial assistance — are not being renewed by the Office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner of the district.
The labourers said that their jobs do not help them to meet their all expenses and the same would be accommodated by the beneficiary card/labour card on which the labour department provides them scholarships for their children besides other benefits.
However, the labourers told the Kashmir News Bureau that they were sent back from the labour office in Budgam without renewing their beneficiary cards. “We have been renewing the labour cards every year but last time we were told that the order related to it has not been received by them (employees). The financial assistance through the labour card has been very helpful for us but this time the chances for getting it seems bleak,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a labourer.
Another elderly labourer said that major benefit from the labour card is attained through scholarships for their children’s studies. “But our cards are not being renewed now and neither is fee accepted for the same. Basically, we were not able to submit the fee last time during the raging covid for labour cards’ renewal and now this time they are telling us that they could not take fees on the older cards,” the labourer added.
He further said that the labourers are only told that an order has not been received regarding the matter by the concerned ones in the office.
Muneer Ahmad Bhat, another labourer from Budgam, said “We went to the office of Assistant Labour Commissioner Officer to deposit fees for the labour card, but they are not accepting fees from us. They are saying that the fee cannot be accepted unless they receive an order.”
On contacting Assistant Labour Commissioner Officer Budgam Zameer Ali, he said that often the labourers have not properly attested their labour forms, which should have signatures from the concerned officials under whose domain the labourers fall.
“With proper completion of all formalities, not a single labourer’s form would get rejected,” said Ali.
He further said that the labourers could also show the LI’s and LO in the department that they are self-employed and have worked for 90 days in the last 12 months which would enable them to easily register themselves. (KNB)