Srinagar/Jammu: The Labour Department’s weekly digital outreach initiative, Shramik Warta, is increasingly emerging as an effective grievance redressal mechanism for workers across Jammu and Kashmir, enabling labourers to directly present complaints before senior officials and secure time-bound relief.
Launched by the Labour Commissioner, J&K, the programme functions as a virtual interface held every Wednesday, connecting Assistant Labour Commissioners (ALCs) from all districts with workers and other aggrieved individuals on a common platform.
Officials said the initiative allows workers to raise issues such as non-payment of wages, denial of minimum wages, gratuity and compensation claims, illegal termination and other labour-related grievances without procedural delays. Through departmental intervention, pending dues amounting to Rs 2.89 crore have been recovered from employers and disbursed among beneficiaries under prescribed rules. In several cases, workers who had faced illegal termination were also reinstated.
The initiative has also received appreciation from the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment during a regional conference held in Jaipur.
The 16th edition of Shramik Warta was conducted on Wednesday by Labour Commissioner S. Charandeep Singh, who interacted directly with workers and issued on-the-spot directions for resolution of grievances.
During the session, multiple cases from different districts were addressed. In Rajouri, a construction worker received financial assistance under the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) scheme for the treatment of his son suffering from a kidney ailment after intervention by the department.
In Srinagar, teachers of Iqra International School who had complained of non-payment of salaries for three months received their pending dues following action by the ALC Srinagar. Similarly, sanitation workers in Doda were paid six months’ pending wages and Provident Fund compliance was ensured after departmental intervention.
In another case from Kulgam, a worker was paid Rs 35,600 in gratuity by his employer after the department took up the matter.
Addressing participants, the Labour Commissioner said Shramik Warta provides workers a structured and direct interface with higher authorities and has strengthened transparency, responsiveness and accountability within the department’s enforcement mechanism.
He reiterated that the programme would continue to be held regularly to ensure timely grievance redressal and effective implementation of labour welfare measures across the Union Territory.
