Employees, Bar suspend strike on DC’s intervention

Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 18: The employees of Kathua district and Bar Association Kathua this evening suspended their respective daylong strike following intervention of Deputy Commissioner, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who has constituted a committee for holding enquiry into the alleged misbehavior by an advocate with Additional District Magistrate.
As per their decision conveyed to Kathua district administration yesterday, the Government employees went on strike today across the district in protest against alleged misbehavior of an advocate with Additional District Magistrate.
The employees from Billawar, Bani, Basohli and Hiranagar reached Kathua and joined the employees of district headquarters in protest against yesterday’s incident. Later, employees union of Rural Development, Revenue, PHE, Local Bodies, Health and Social Welfare Departments announced indefinite strike in protest against the incident. Due to their strike, work remained affected in all the Government departments in the district.
On the other side, Bar Association Kathua also held protest demonstration against what they alleged wrongful confinement of an advocate on the instructions of Additional District Magistrate. J&K High Court Bar Association also extended support to Kathua Bar Association and suspended work in High Court as well as Subordinate Courts.
Later in the day, Deputy Commissioner convened joint meeting with the representatives of employees and Bas Association as well senior officers of administration and judicial officers. Principal District and Sessions Judge Vinod Chatterjee Koul, A C Revenue Suraj Parkash Rukwal, President of Bar Association and Advocates Lok Nath Sangra and Vijay Sharma attended the meeting.
Deputy Commissioner resolved the issue by constituting a 4-member committee for holding enquiry in the incident and to recommend further legal action accordingly. Addl District Magistrate Suraj Parkash Rukwal will be convener of the committee comprised of Addl Superintendent of Police Nasir Ahmed and representatives of Bar nominated by District and Sessions Judge. The committee has been directed to furnish report within a period of 10 days.
As an outcome of joint meeting strike was called off both by Employees Association and Bar Association. Deputy Commissioner has issued instructions to all the departments and employees’ associations not to observer strike tomorrow and return to their work.