Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 27: The PHE workers today held strong protest demonstration in support of their long pending demands at PHE complex, B C Road here today.
A large number of PHE employees from various Divisions and Sub Divisions, under the banner of PHE Workers Welfare Association (Jammu province) assembled outside the office of Chief Engineer, PHE at BC Road in the morning and started protest demonstration followed by day long dharna. Provincial president Bakshi Singh and general secretary, Subash Verma were leading the protest.
The agitating employees were shouting slogans against the BJP-PDP Coalition Government, PHE Minister and Chief Engineer concerned for not addressing the long pending issues of the employees and workers of all the categories. They alleged that despite assurance, the Minister for PHE and Irrigation Sham Choudhary has not responded to the commitment made by him with the Association members.
The employees are demanding regularization of the daily rated/ temporary workers, release of their pending wages, provision of job to a member of deceased daily rated worker, inclusion of left out daily wagers in the list, regular wages to the land donor workers at the rate of Rs 350 per day, conduct of DPC, repair of old quarters, pumping stations, chowkidar quarters, provision of benches/ chairs, torches etc for the night Chowkidars at pumping stations.
Bakshi Singh president and general secretary Subash Verma criticized the higher authorities for ignoring the basic issues of the employees. They said that Department must go for early conduct of DPC. A welfare fund on the pattern of PDD should also be created in the department. They also sought rationalization of pay scales of the field and operational staff.
They declared that if the Department failed to address the pending issues of the employees and workers by August 18, the Association would intensify agitation by holding district level protests and dharnas from August 22.