Traffic in Jammu city came to standstill this afternoon as death of a PDD worker on duty triggered massive protest by family members and colleagues of the deceased, who were demanding compensation to the victim family.
Agitated over alleged insensitive attitude of the Government over the death, the protesters staged a massive dharna at ever busy Bikram Chowk after placing body of the deceased on the road and completely paralyzed traffic movement in the area.
They were raising slogans against the Government and demanding compensation to family of Balwinder Mohan, a Need Based Workers in PDD, who died on last Saturday due to electrocution while repairing some fault on an electric pole near Ware House.
Even as Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu Ravi S Sharma, Incharge SSP Jammu Rajeshwar Singh and senior officers from PDD reached the spot to pacify the agitators, the chaos like situation at Bikram Chowk and adjoining areas continued for around two hours owing to blockade of road and unprecedented vehicular jams.
The trouble erupted this morning after family members and colleagues of the deceased kept waiting at Government Medical College Jammu mortuary for a word of condolence and some assurance by PDD officers, who did not turn up.
Infuriated over the `insensitive’ attitude of PDD officers, the family members and colleagues of the deceased took the body from GMC mortuary and marched towards Bikram Chowk and held a strong demonstration there. They blocked the road by placing coffin rapped body in the Chowk and staged a dharna amidst shouting of slogans for compensation and job to next of the kin of the deceased.
Blockage of ever busy Bikram Chowk completely paralyzed traffic movement in the area leading to unprecedented vehicular jams upto City, Canal road and Satwari from 12 noon to 1.45 pm.
The chaos like situation continued for around two hours and the dharna was lifted only after the ADC assured that Government would provide temporary job to younger brother of the deceased and adequate compensation to the family.
“As SRO-43 does not apply in this case, we have assured a job of Need Based Worker to younger brother of the deceased besides adequate monetary compensation to the family from Government, Red Cross and other agencies,” Ravi Sharma told the Excelsior.
Though the dharna was lifted and protesters dispersed off around 1.45 pm taking the body for last rites, it took more than three hours for the traffic to return to normalization as vehicles could move only at snail’s pace owing to thick and long jams.
The hours-long situation forced commuters to suffer in reaching their destination while school children also reached home late as their vehicles were stuck-up in traffic jams. A number of people even missed their afternoon flights and trains due to the situation.
Follow our WhatsApp channel