Ensure safety, payment of wages to labourers: Raina

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: Girdhari Lal Raina former MLC and spokesperson of BJPJK UT, has asked UT administration to take visibly concrete steps to ensure safety of soft targets in Kashmir including poor labourers and street vendors from other states.
Not satisfied with security measures amidst continuing targeting of hapless workers, they are fleeing to protect their lives and honour, he said. These poor hardworking men and women are complaining of non-payment of their wages earned over a period of time, he added. Raina further said that it is really a serious matter of concern and the administration must intervene to safeguard payment of earnings to them. The Labour Department must in fact issue a help line number for them and provide all possible assistance in these distressing times, Raina suggested. It must also make registration of migrant workers compulsory to avoid their exploitation by middlemen and un authorised contractors, he added further.
He said these vulnerable laborers and workers leaving Kashmir in pain and helplessness is not good for anyone and will have long term consequences affecting the economy adversely. Economy of the UT that is already hit adversely by COVID-19 pandemic will further deteriorate if the present situation worsens further.
Raina said the UT administration needs to take some bold steps including housing migrant workers in safe locations. Delay in re-establishing security pickets in areas where minority community members are living is also adding to the sense of insecurity, he purported.