Over 99,000 labourers become pension beneficiaries in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting on Wednesday to review the progress made under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) scheme in Jammu and Kashmir districts. The meeting emphasized the need to expand social security coverage for unorganized workers through continuous awareness and registration drives.

Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Shailendra Kumar; Commissioner Secretary, Forests; Labor Commissioner Charandeep Singh; and other relevant officials attended the meeting, while Deputy Commissioners participated via video conferencing.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed the Labor Department to make special efforts to reach all eligible unorganized workers for registration under the scheme so that they can avail the envisaged benefits. He asked the Labor Commissioner to submit a weekly progress report starting today, detailing district-wise registrations and progress achieved so far.

Emphasizing the importance of the scheme, the Chief Secretary stated that the benefits under PM-SYM are very attractive to workers in the unorganized sector. He stated that this scheme, along with other social security initiatives such as the PM Kisan Maandhan and the National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed, guarantees financial security in old age for vulnerable sections of society.

He also asked the Finance Department to closely monitor the implementation of these schemes and directed Deputy Commissioners to assist in increasing registration in their respective districts to ensure saturation of benefits.

Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Shailendra Kumar, said that there is immense scope for successful implementation of such schemes in Jammu and Kashmir, as a large segment of the population is engaged in the unorganized sector. He emphasized the need for widespread awareness about the benefits of these schemes to encourage more eligible workers to enroll. Labour Commissioner Charandeep Singh, while explaining the scheme at the meeting, explained that PM-SYM is a flagship pension scheme of the Government of India, launched in 2019 to provide social security in old age to workers in the unorganized sector. This includes street vendors, construction workers, domestic workers, agricultural laborers, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, hotel industry workers, and other vulnerable categories earning up to ₹15,000 per month.
He further stated that a total of 99,722 unorganized workers have registered under the scheme so far across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, demonstrating a significant increase in pension coverage among vulnerable sections of society. Srinagar district recorded the highest number of beneficiary registrations at 10,312, followed by Poonch at 9,251 and Pulwama at 7,180. The meeting was informed that during the special enrollment drive launched by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Government of India, in January 2026, 23,119 new registrations were made, marking an increase of nearly 30 percent in a short period of time.
The meeting was informed that as part of the intensified outreach campaign, 637 special registration camps were organized across the Union Territory in collaboration with urban local bodies, Panchayati Raj Institutions, and Common Service Centers.
Elaborating on the benefits of the scheme, it was stated that PM-SYM guarantees a minimum monthly pension of ₹3,000 after the age of 60, with the Central Government contributing an equal amount to the subscriber’s contribution. Upon the subscriber’s death, the spouse is entitled to receive 50 percent of the pension as family pension.