Kupwara: Abdul Ahad Mir has been working with Power Development Department for 12-years as need based worker.
Mir, who carries out the works otherwise done by a lineman, was 32 years of age when he got enrolled in the Department and continues to work involving the risky maintenance work on electricity transmission lines.
Climbing poles, mending damaged electricity wires without safety equipment is routine job for him.
In other words, Mir, a resident of Hatmulla area of Check Drugmulla in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, has close shave with death more often than not. There is no guarantee that he will not meet the same fate of nearly 200 linemen who have died while on job or scores of those left differently disabled in last two decades.
I have been waiting regularization for twelve long years and despite assurances from time to time by those at the helm of affairs, the wait is just unending, Mir told GNS.
Every passing day is tantamount to proverbial a mountain to climb. I have a huge family to back and delay is just piling up our miseries.
Mir said that his daughters have attained the age of marriage and to meet the obligation was giving sleepless nights to him.
It is difficult to make both ends meet with the meager wages and every passing day is only adding to my uneasiness as to how will I meet the responsibility of marrying my daughters.
As per Mir, delay in release of the wages also compounds miseries for him to support his family.
For last nine months, the wages have not been released and in case same is not paid soon, we (he and his family) will starve.
According to SRO 381 (26th August 1981) of the PDD, the daily-wagers who have served the department for seven years will get regularized (through promotions) and if the department does not have any daily-wager then they will go for new recruitments. The need based workers have to work for few years more to become daily-wagers.
Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Mir is without living electricity for eight years as no Low Tension (LT) line goes towards his dilapidated residential house at Hatmulla.
The main LT line is some 200 meters and I even dont dare to ask the officers to take it towards my residence. While we are without electricity, the only request to the departments is regularize me, Mir said, adding, May be better wages would enable me to purchase wire to take electricity to my house.
Despite repeated attempts, the Chief Engineer PDD couldnt be contacted. (GNS)
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