J&K hikes minimum wages of unskilled, skilled Workers
Ahead of Diwali, the Jammu and Kashmir government has raised the minimum wages of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers.
The revised monthly wages will be applicable from October 17.
Wages of unskilled workers will be increased to R.9330 per month, semi-skilled workers to Rs.12000 per month, skilled to Rs.14,490 per month, highly skilled workers to get Rs.16,560 per month and administrative workers to get Rs.13,470 per month.
“Whereas, in terms of clause (h) of sub-section ( I) of section 5 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, a notification S.0 315 of 2022 dated 27.06.2022 was published in Government Gazette whereby the proposal for revising the minimum rates of wages was issued lor inviting, objections / suggestions /comments from the person likely to be affected, within a period of 02 months,” reads the order issued by Deputy Secretary to government Nisar Ahmed Shah
“Whereas, in pursuance to the said notification, twenty (20) numbers of objections/suggestions/ comments were received by the department, within the stipulated period of 02 months. The same were placed before the Advisory Board, constituted under the Act vide Government order no. 957-JK (GAD) of 2022 dated 18.08.2022, for consultation. The subsequent recommendations of Advisory Board were taken into the consideration by the Government,” the order further reads.
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 5 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (Act No. XI of 1948), the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, after consulting the Advisory Board constituted under the Act, hereby, revise the minimum rates of wages in respect of the scheduled employments
Meanwhile, n a major relief to the lawyers community and fulfilling their long pending demands, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir took a historical step and implemented the Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 2001 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Act provides way for giving financial assistance to organize welfare schemes for the Advocates.
In order to implement the Act, the Government has established the Jammu and Kashmir Advocates Welfare Fund and has also constituted the Jammu and Kashmir ‘Advocates Welfare Fund Trustee Committee’ headed by the Advocate General of the Union Territory with the Registrar General, Home Secretary, Law Secretary, Two Advocates nominated by the High Court and one Government Pleader/Public Prosecutor nominated by the Home Department as its members. The trusteeship committee held its first meeting on 13.10.2022 and it was decided to frame rules for operationalization to Advocates Welfare Fund.
The Advocates fund shall, interalia be used for making ex-gratia grant to the member of the fund in case of a serious health problem, payment of fixed amount on cessation of practice and in case of death of a member, to his nominee or legal heir, medical and educational facilities for the members of their dependents, purchase of the books and for establishing common facilities for advocates.
The constitution of fund and establishment of Trustee Committee will go on long way for taking welfare measures for the Advocates practicing in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and with this step the Government has fulfilled long pending demand of the Advocates of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, for which they were entitled as per provisions of law.
