Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 17: The casual labourers of the Sindh Forest Division in Ganderbal staged a protest today, alleging that their wages have been withheld for the past two years.
A total of 256, these workers gathered outside the Divisional Forest Office, raising slogans and holding placards, urging Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene.
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“Our wages have been frozen for two years now. This hasn’t happened anywhere else in Kashmir-only in the Ganderbal Forest Division,” said Liyakat Ali Dar, one of the protesting workers.
“We have dedicated decades of our lives to this department, yet we are being treated unfairly.”
He warned that if their demands were not met within the next two days, they would be forced to take their protest to the streets along with their families.
“We are among the 61,000 casual labourers, yet we are the only ones facing this crisis. The Chief Minister is also our MLA-he must hold the concerned department accountable and ensure our dues are released before Eid,” he added.
Another worker, Javid Ahmad, said they had no choice but to stage a protest outside the DFO office.
“We have been pushed to the wall. If other workers are getting paid, why are only we being denied our wages? The Chief Minister must step in and resolve this injustice,” he said.
Criticizing the disparity, he added, “If MLAs claim that Rs 1.5 lakh a month isn’t enough for them, how are we expected to survive on Rs 9,000/- and even that has been withheld for two years.”
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