JAMMU, February 19, 2026 : The Government of Jammu and Kashmir will initiate the long-awaited process of regularisation of daily-rated, ad hoc and other temporary employees in 2026, while simultaneously working to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts during the current year, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to the discussion on grants of his departments and various cut motions, the Chief Minister acknowledged that the issue of daily wagers and temporary workers has remained unresolved for decades despite being raised repeatedly across party lines.
“These employees have suffered for 20, 30 and even 40 years. No government has been able to fully resolve this complex issue,” he said.
Abdullah reiterated that the government is committed to a legally and financially sustainable solution. He recalled that during the Lieutenant Governor’s address and the Budget Session, he had clearly stated that the process of regularisation would begin this year.
“We will proceed in a manner that does not collapse in courts or get stalled in the Finance Department,” he asserted.
To this end, the Chief Minister informed the House that a committee under the supervision of the Chief Secretary has been constituted to examine all aspects of the issue. Once the committee submits its report and the necessary groundwork is completed in a transparent manner, the policy will be placed before the public, he added.
Rejecting calls for haste, Abdullah cautioned against unrealistic promises.
“Regularisation cannot happen overnight. I am not willing to mislead employees by signing a paper without proper preparation,” he said, adding that the exact number of workers—whether 70,000, 80,000 or one lakh—will be determined through a structured and time-bound exercise.
The Chief Minister informed the Assembly that over one lakh daily wagers and casual labourers are currently engaged across various departments in Jammu and Kashmir. The registered workforce includes:
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69,696 casual labourers
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8,836 daily-rated workers
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8,534 seasonal labourers
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5,757 Food & Civil Supplies helpers
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2,153 part-time sweepers
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1,929 workers engaged through Hospital Development Funds
On employment generation, Abdullah underlined the distinction between creation of posts and appointments, stating that while posts have been created, the government has already filled around 6,000–6,500 posts. He reaffirmed the target of filling nearly 30,000 existing vacancies this year without creating new positions.
He further assured that all recruitments will be carried out in a transparent, fair and time-bound manner in coordination with the Selection Board and the Public Service Commission, so as to avoid legal hurdles that derailed recruitment processes in the past.
