Srinagar: The CIC Operators working in Rural Development Department (RDD) have sought regularisation in services and an increase in salary.
They have sought the intervention of Home Minister, Amit Shah, in the matter. In a statement, they said, “Through the medium of this Open Letter we would like to bring our long pending and genuine issue into your kind notice: That we CIC Operators are continuously working in Rural Development Department, UT (J&K) on a contractual basis since 2004 on a meager amount of Rs 10,000 per month. We are facing a lot of hardships to feed our families and also could not provide proper education to our children.”
The statement further added, “We have been appointed on merit basis through proper recruitment procedure by District Level Committees constituted by the Government of J&K headed by Deputy Commissioners of concerned Districts in the year 2004. That we are all highly qualified having MCA, M.Tech, M.Sc. IT, B.E & B.Tech Degrees and are technically very sound. That we are handling efficiently all the online work of departmental portals viz E-gramswaraj, SBM, PFMS, PMAY, Peoples Plan Campaign (Sabki Yojna Sabka Vikaas), GPDP, Mission Antyodaya etc, and other e- Governance related activities. Besides all other office assignments viz-a-viz elections, Establishment, Accounts, works etc. at Block/District/Directorate/Secretariat level.”
“That in the year 2014, Jammu & Kashmir Government passed a Cabinet order to formulate a proposal for the regularizations of 172 CIC Operators in the Rural Development Department J&K. In the year 2016 , Jammu & Kashmir Government through its cabinet decision created 172 Data entry operators for regularization of services of 172 CIC Operators vide Govt. Order No. 320-RD & PR of 2016 dated 14.12.2016. That in the year 2017, the Empowered Committee of J&K Government vide its 58th Meeting dated 22.03.2017 & 60th Meeting dated 12-10-2017 headed by Principal Secretary, Finance Department J&K cleared our cases for regularization under Special Provision Act 2010.”
” That recommendations have been also communicated to the Department of RD & PR by the Finance Department J&K for issuing regularization orders as Data Entry Operators vide O.M No. PS/DC/Misc-353/14 dated 22-05-2017, O.M. No. PS/SC/Misc-374/14 dated 24-01-2018 and O.M No.PS/DC/Misc-353/14 dated 01-06-2014. The file has got consent from Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Department J&K and also got consent from Advocate General of J&K for regularization of these 172 CIC Operators.
That GAD vide Government Order No. 99-JK(GAD) of 2022 dated 28.01.2022 has accorded sanction to incorporating the issues of the Community Information Centre (CIC) Operators of the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj under the purview of Sub-Committee constituted vide Government Order No. 1081-JK(GAD) of 2021 dated 13.10.2021. That the Sub-Committee under the chairmanship Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Finance Department has conducted its meeting regarding the issues related to CIC Operators on 19th April, 2022 and has also submitted its report/recommendations to the GAD for enhancement of monthly salary in respect of CIC Operators which are to be approved by the main committee headed by Chief Secretary J&K,” the statement read.
“Afterwards, the Main Committee meeting was scheduled by GAD on 29-06-2022 but unfortunately the same was postponed. Thereafter, GAD again re-scheduled the Main Committee meeting on 05-08-2022 to be held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary J&K which also was postponed. Since then, the main committee meeting to approve the recommendations given by the Sub-Committee with regard to enhancement of the monthly salary of CIC Operators is not being convened by the General Administration Department due to which they are badly suffering and facing a lot of hardships and pain during this sky-high market inflation.”