Employees hold massive protest for 2nd day, block road

Excelsior Correspondent

KISHTWAR, Apr 21: The employees today held a massive protest in the town here against the failure of the administration in airlifting the stranded employees who were deputed on election duty in Madwa -Dachan and Wadwan during April 17 polling.
Hundreds of protesting employees shouting slogans against the administration first blocked road at Shaheedi Park in the town for two hours and later for another two hours in front of DC office to protest against the callousness of the administration against the staranded election duty employees in far-flung areas of Kishtwar.
They alleged that over 80 stranded employees who were on poll duty in far-flung areas of Madwa -Dachan and Wadwan are held up there for last four days as authorities have failed to send the copter services for lifting them.
They, while accusing the administration for its total callousness, said that the employees were air lifted on April 11 to their respective areas for election duty but no copter service was provided to them for their return though the Government had promised them that they will be brought back through air sorties and all arrangements for their boarding and lodging will be made at their respective polling booths.
The protestors said that there were no arrangements of boarding and lodging at the polling booths for them. They also criticized the administration which had asked the ASHA workers and Namberdars of the respective villages to make arrangements for the food for polling staff in their area which was not practicable as both categories of these employees are getting a meager salary of Rs 300.
The various associations of the employees which took part in the demonstration and road blockade included Patwar Association, PHE, Teachers as well as associations of other departments. They said it is pity that EVMs and security forces were airlifted while the polling staff was asked to come on foot which was impracticable as there is two meter snow in Wadwan.
The employees, while criticizing the authorities said they failed to send helicopter today as promised though the weather was clean.
The protestors also criticized the SSP Kishtwar for misbehaving with RO and accused the DC of taking sides with him. They said while the police failed to register FIR against the SSP on the complaint of RO, Kishtwar, it has registered the FIR against the president of Teachers Association, Mehboob Qazi, Tanveer Malik and others for taking out a procession in the town and blocking road.
The protestors also demanded revocation of FIR against the employees leaders failing which they will intensify the agitation.
Later DIG, Doda- Ramban Range Ashkoor Wani visited Kishtwar to hold negotiations with the employees but they refused to talk to him and continued protest.
When contacted DC Kishtwar, Javed Khan who is also district polling officer said that due to technical reasons the employees from Wadwan could not be airlifted today.
DC said that he is in touch with Divisional Commissioner Jammu in this regard and all employees will be brought back by tomorrow or day after tomorrow.
He also said that all 225 EVMs of Kishtwar district reached Kathua today where the counting will be held on May 16.

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