SRINAGAR: Central Kashmir’s Mechanical department is facing shortage of operational and maintenance crew to operate equipment’s for clearing snow along arterial roads in central Kashmir.
While trained drivers are retiring from services, the department is engaging its casual labourer- who incase of any mishap would not get enough compensation.
While officials maintain that casual employees work tirelessly to clear the snow, “the only threat they face is accidents and injuries that will not get duly compensated”.
Seventy percent of the central Kashmiris snow machines are driven by the casual labourer’s.
“We drive snow vehicles during the winters, but we did not get the benefits which the permanent employees are getting in the department. The government should give us proper insurance cover especially during the 4 months of winter,” casual employees said.
“If we are injured during the snow clearance, we would not get any benefit as we do not have insurance cover,” they said.
An official from Mechanical department said there is no shortage of snow clearance machines. “Out of 40 snow clearance machines in the central Kashmir’s Mechanical department, 30% of permanent employees are driving snow machines and other 70% are drivenby casual labourer’s,” he said.
“The MechanicalEngineering department has cleared 3715 kilometers in the central Kashmir’s district including Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal,”he said.

ARIF RASHID