Employs of Wool Dev Board face pay disparity

SRINAGAR: Mohammad Shafi (name changed) is working in the Wool Development Board for more than 20-years. Shafi is now nearing his retirement. He is one among 85 employees of Wool Development Board who are on deputation to Sheep Husbandry Department since 2005. However, they are not entitled to benefits at par with employees of the Sheep Husbandry Department.

“We do work like employees of Sheep Husbandry Department despite that we are not provided any benefit which employees of Sheep Husbandry Department or other departments get as per service rules,” he said.It is becoming difficult for him to manage things at home.

“There are eight members dependent on me in my family. It becomes difficult for me to even pay fees to my three children on a meager salary. Most of employees of Wool Development Board are suffering from depression because of discrimination with us by the government,” he said in a dejected voice. It was during Ghulam Nabi Azad's tenure as chief minister of erstwhile state that these employees were sent to Sheep Husbandry Department on deputation. Since then they are not getting benefits as per service rules like employees of other departments. “We see our future very bleak. Despite working in the Sheep Husbandry Department for the last 15-years and our service records have also been sent there, we are still facing pay disparity around Rs 20,000,” he added. Another employee said that when they were sent on deputation they were told that the Wool Development Board will be merged with the Sheep Husbandry Department. “During Azad's tenure, a file was also forwarded to the Finance Department for approval. However, since then there has been no action,” he said.

He said the nature of job for employees of Wool Development Board and Sheep Husbandry Department is the same. “Then why discrimination with us? A lower rank employee from Sheep Husbandry Department is getting a Rs 40,000 salary and we are still stuck at less than Rs 25,000 per month salary.”

The employees said after the fall of Azad's government, the file was shelved. “Naveen Chowdhary when he was Principal Secretary Finance Department made a progress before he was transferred and then the file remained pending,” he said.