MLA Waheed Para Seeks Action on Minimum Wage Violations

SRINAGAR: Member of the Legislative Assembly from Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, has written an open letter to Justice Arun Palli, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, seeking suo motu judicial intervention over the alleged non-implementation of the Minimum Wages Act for thousands of government workers across the Union Territory.

In the letter, Para called the continued denial of fair wages to seasonal, casual, daily-wage, need-based and even regular public employees a violation of constitutional rights and a betrayal of economic justice. He urged the Chief Justice to treat the open letter as a letter petition in public interest and to take immediate cognisance of the issue.

Referring to government notifications issued in March 2025 that raised daily wages for various categories of workers by Rs 300, Para alleged that these revised rates have not been implemented in most departments. “Despite the constitutional mandate under the Directive Principles of State Policy and the statutory protections under the Minimum Wages Act, these workers continue to suffer in silence under systemic neglect and exploitation,” the letter reads.

Para highlighted the disparity between policy and ground reality, citing numerous representations by workers who continue to receive substandard pay. He further stated that official records regarding the number of affected workers and the implementation status were being withheld under bureaucratic red tape.

He argued that the non-implementation violates the Right to Equality (Article 14), the Right to Livelihood and Dignity (Article 21), and the Right against Discrimination in Employment (Article 15) of the Constitution. “Economic justice cannot be delayed without denying the constitutional promise,” Para said.

The letter requests the Chief Justice to direct government departments to submit a status report and ensure full compliance with the revised wage structure. It also seeks judicial monitoring until the Minimum Wages Act is implemented in both letter and spirit across Jammu and Kashmir.

“This intervention will not only restore dignity to thousands of marginalised workers but also reinforce the Constitution’s sacred promise of equality, justice, and humane conditions of work,” Para concluded.