SRINAGAR: Expressing surprise over why labourer component was not being included in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of any Public Health Engineering (PHE) schemes in the past, Minister for PHE and Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Sham Lal Sharma said cases of 26,000 need-based workers engaged for various schemes in the department are being looked into.
When the Centre has agreed in principal to pay labourer component alongwith other cost of any project, why did we not include it in the DPR was not understandable, Mr Sharma said in reply supplimentaries asked by the ministers to main question of Peerzada Mansoor Hussasin in the Legislative Assembly during Question Hour today.
He said the GOI has agreed to pay the running cost and man power cost of any project.
In fact, the Centre has agreed to bear the wages of these need-based workers for two years.
Mr Sharma said in the past this was not followed and need-based workers were being paid wages only on Eid or Deepawali festivals.
He said there are 25,000 to 26,000 need-based workers in the PHE and I&FC department, some of them are getting wages while others are not.
However, now the Finance Minister has agreed that their cases will be looked into and decision taken accordingly.
About 22,00 schemes were taken up in the state. But, he said in the DPR of each scheme, the cost of labourer component was missing.
“If we could engage only ten for each scheme, that means 22,000 workers for which the Centre would have paid for them, he said.
“I have now directed the department that while preparing any DPR, labourer component should be included.”
