13,800 Contractual Workers Engaged in NHPC Projects in Jammu Kashmir; Govt Says Wages Above Minimum Norms | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Around 13,800 contractual workers are currently engaged in various projects of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and its joint ventures in Jammu and Kashmir, the Government of India informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday, outlining wage safeguards and welfare provisions for the workforce.

Replying to Unstarred Question raised by MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said that while NHPC employs 4,590 regular staff across the country as of March 1, 2026, a significant number of workers in JK are hired through contractors for project-related activities.

The government clarified that these workers are not directly employed by NHPC but are engaged by contractors executing works at various project sites in the Union Territory.

On wage and welfare measures, the minister said NHPC ensures through contractual provisions that workers are paid wages higher than the minimum rates notified by authorities. The compensation structure includes statutory benefits such as Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), bonus and gratuity.

In addition, workers are covered under social security schemes like Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), along with mediclaim benefits. They are also entitled to paid leave, national holidays, and provisions for conveyance, uniforms and liveries.

The reply indicates that while a large contractual workforce supports NHPC’s expanding hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir, no direct regularisation mechanism has been outlined, with the company relying on contractor-based engagement backed by mandated wage and welfare protections.