The prolonged uncertainty surrounding the regularisation of thousands of Consolidated Paid Workers in Urban Local Bodies is a stark reflection of systemic neglect. Nearly 2,700 workers, including sanitation staff and other casual staff, continue to serve municipal institutions despite having spent 15 to 20 years in service. Yet, the Government has not provided even a tentative timeline for addressing their long-pending demand for regularisation. Such a situation amounts to nothing less than blatant exploitation of workers who have devoted the most productive years of their lives to public service. These workers perform essential duties that sustain urban life-cleaning streets, maintaining sanitation networks, and supporting civic operations that citizens depend upon every day. However, despite decades of service, they remain trapped in a cycle of fixed wages without job security, social security benefits, or career progression. While regular employees enjoy institutional safeguards, casual and consolidated workers continue to operate in a precarious environment where their future depends entirely on bureaucratic decisions that have remained pending for years.
The situation becomes even more troubling when viewed alongside the severe administrative gaps within the urban local bodies themselves. Out of 74 sanctioned posts of Chief Executive Officers or Executive Officers in ULBs across the Union Territory, only 31 are currently in place. In practical terms, more than half of the municipalities are functioning without full-time administrative heads. This administrative vacuum inevitably affects governance at the grassroots level. The absence of dedicated executive officers in dozens of municipal bodies translates into delayed decision-making, weak supervision of sanitation services, and slow progress on development projects. The consequences of such neglect were visible during last year’s post-monsoon flooding when several towns struggled with clogged drains, poor sanitation management, and delayed response mechanisms. In many places, tendering processes for civil works or municipal shop allocations are also delayed due to administrative bottlenecks. Equally disturbing is the manner in which the recruitment framework has been handled. While the direct recruitment quota for executive officers has already been filled, the much larger promotion quota-constituting 70 per cent of the posts-remains unfulfilled because eligible officers in feeder cadres have not been processed for promotion. This raises serious questions about the seriousness with which the parent department and the Government are addressing the administrative needs of urban institutions.
Even in the two major municipal corporations-Jammu and Srinagar-the situation is only marginally better. A large portion of sanitation work in these cities has been outsourced to private contractors who operate with minimal wage structures. While outsourcing may offer administrative convenience, it often results in workers receiving lower wages and virtually no benefits compared to regular employees. Workers who have spent years sweeping streets and maintaining sanitation infrastructure are forced to agitate simply to secure recognition of their service. Their demands are not extraordinary-they seek only job security and dignity after years of labour that kept urban centres functioning.
The persistent issue is of financial constraints. Municipal Corporations are expected to generate their own revenues, while smaller ULBs remain largely dependent on Government grants and approvals. Unfortunately, neither structure has succeeded in creating sustainable financial models. Revenue generation from municipal services, property taxes, and local resources remains limited, leaving civic bodies financially fragile. For regular employees, this financial weakness may not immediately threaten their positions. For casual and consolidated workers, however, it significantly reduces the chances of regularisation. The reality is that until the Finance Department clears the proposal pending before it, the long-standing demand of these workers will remain unresolved regardless of their years of service.
This complicated situation demands a pragmatic and humane solution. A phased regularisation policy could offer a viable way forward. Alongside this, a serious effort must be made to strengthen revenue generation mechanisms within bodies so that a portion of locally generated funds can support workforce stability. An “all or none” approach will only prolong the deadlock. Indefinite postponement of decisions will merely deepen resentment. The Government must recognise that behind every casual worker is a family that has endured years of uncertainty. A balanced policy that combines financial prudence with humanitarian consideration can restore both dignity to workers and efficiency to urban governance.
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