Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 8: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) today served an ultimatum of six months, till November 30, to the UT administration to resolve all issues of temporary Guards/Maalis-Chowkidars of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, failing which PRI members would go on indefinite hunger strike.
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Addressing a press conference here at AJKPC office in presence of Guards/Maalis and Gardeners/Chowkidars, the AJKPC president Anil Sharma said it was quite unfortunate that the UT Government has taken no action or framed any policy to address the genuine concerns of these people.
“We express our utter dismay that despite submitting over a dozen memoranda and letters to the authorities of the RDD in Kashmir and Jammu, the Government has not moved even an inch and showing its reluctance to adjust these poor people as they were promised government jobs in lieu of the their lands given for setting up different Government buildings/ Panchayat Bhawans and other infrastructure,” Sharma regretted.
The AJKPC leader said the families of these poor people were at the verge of starvation due to the adamant attitude and step- motherly treatment adopted by the UT administration. “We once again make a humble request to the government that these people should be adjusted as temporary daily wagers at the monthly honorarium of Rs 9,000 so that they are able to feed and support their families,” he said.
Sharma said decades have passed but these gullible and poor temporary workers were not given any justice and many of them have now surpassed the eligible age for absorption in regular recruitment in government jobs, therefore, it is imperative that these workers be given at least the status of daily wage workers and give appointment orders.
He further said that despite repeated requests to the officers, no arrangements had been made by the government to enable biometric attendance of these Chowkidars and Maalis.
“The Government should immediately start biometric attendance of these Chowkidars and Maalis who are nearly 2,000 in numbers across Jammu and Kashmir. We want to make it clear that all Panches and Sarpanches and entire AJKPC stand with the Maalis and Chowkidars and their families and would not hesitate to initiate indefinite agitation if no concrete decision is taken at an earliest,” he added.
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