Srinagar, Sep 03: The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing wage structure for artisans and weavers and recommend suitable amendments to the minimum wage framework, including the incorporation and classification of notified handicrafts and handloom crafts.
As per the order, the committee will examine the provisions of S.O. 513 of 2022 dated October 12, 2022, and assess the need for revision with regard to the handicrafts and handloom sector.
The committee will also undertake a comprehensive study of the existing wage patterns of artisans and weavers and analyse prevailing wage disparities. It will evaluate the socio-economic conditions of artisans and weavers and assess the impact of market dynamics, raw material costs and fluctuations in demand on their earnings.
Another key mandate of the panel is to identify notified handicrafts and handloom crafts that require inclusion in the statutory framework governing minimum rates of wages in Jammu and Kashmir and recommend their appropriate classification.
The committee will engage with artisans, weavers, cooperatives, trade unions, exporters and other stakeholders and undertake field visits to major artisan clusters to obtain first-hand inputs on wage-related issues. It will also conduct a comparative analysis of wage structures prevailing in major handicrafts and handloom clusters across the country.
The committee has been constituted through government order no. 1459-JK(GAD) of 2026 issued by the General Administration Department.
The committee will be headed by the Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, as Chairperson, while the Labour Commissioner, J&K, has been appointed as a member.
The Director, Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir/Jammu, Managing Director, J&K Handicrafts & Handloom Development Corporation, and Additional Secretary to the Industries and Commerce Department will also be members of the panel.
A representative of the Labour & Employment Department not below the rank of Additional Secretary, will be a member. The committee will also include two representatives of recognised artisan and weaver communities to be nominated by the Chairperson, besides one representative each from the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Jammu/Kashmir, having expertise in handicrafts and handlooms.
The Chairperson has also been authorised to co-opt any other member or technical expert considered necessary for the effective discharge of the committee’s mandate.
The government has directed the committee to submit its recommendations within three months for a fair, equitable and sustainable minimum wage structure, keeping in view the unique skills, craftsmanship, cultural heritage and historical significance of Jammu and Kashmir handicrafts and handloom sector.
