Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 18: The workers engaged under MGNREGA held strong protest rally at Exhibition ground near Press Club here today.
On the eighth consecutive day of their protest/ dharna programme, a large number of employees under the banner of All J&K MGNREGA Employees Association assembled at Exhibition Ground in the morning at around 11 am and then started protest demonstration. The workers from various districts and parts of Kashmir province also joined the protest program. They were demanding regularization of all type of workers engaged under MGNREGA.
Provincial President for Jammu Sandeep Kalotra and president Kashmir Division, Jan Mohammed besides others also addressed the gathering and alleged that despite assurance by the RDD Minister to frame a definite policy for the regularization of MGNREGA workers nothing has been done so far. They said that these workers including GRS, Technical Assistants, MIS Operators are being exploited by the Government and are being provided just peanut salaries. Many of them are highly qualified and they are going to be over aged. They warned the Government to frame the policy for the regularisation of these workers otherwise they will intensify the agitation.
After protest demonstration there for about an hour and speeches by various trade unionists, the protest march started towards Civil Secretariat. The workers were carrying banners and place cards shouting slogans in support of their demands. After passing through Dogra Chowk, Lower Gumat and Bus Stand area when they reached near Indira Chowk, a strong contingent of police and paramilitary force raised barricades on the road and stopped them. After brief resistance the protesting workers then dispersed. The police foiled their protest march to Civil Secretariat.
Prominent among others who addressed gathering included Satwant Singh, Tariq Zara, Sandeep Sharma, Farooq Ahmed, Arun Kumar, Sajjad Bhat, Young Bahadur, Kumkum Sharma and Lal Hussain.
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