Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Jan 2: Having denied their wages for the last over 58 long months, hundreds of Jal Shakti/ PHE workers staged massive protest demonstation at PHE Complex, Udhampur today.
A large number of Jal Shakti workers/daily wagers from Ramnagar, Chenani, Kud, Majalta, Manwal, Gordi, Barmeen, Pancheri, Krimachi, Jaganoo, Jib- Thathi, Tikri, Gharhi- Rehmbal area of district Udhampur assembled at the PHE Complex Udhampur today under the banner of Jal Shakti (PHE) Employees & Workers Association led by its Distt president and NPP Trade Union vice president for J&K UT, Som Nath and strongly condemned the attitude of the previous BJP-PDP Government and the present State Administration for not addressing issues of employees and temporary workers.
While addressing protesting employees and workers, Som Nath alleged that despite representations to senior officers, bureaucrats and the Advisors besides ministers in the previous Government, the authorities failed to clear the wages of the workers, who are performing their duties at their respective water stations. They are facing worst kind of exploitation at the hands of the Government.
Trade Union leader further said that these helpless workers are unable to feed their families and also to continue the studies of their children. He said that Lt Governor and the concerned Advisor must take cognizance of the matter and clear the wages of the workers.
He said that on Nov 11, 2020 PHE United Front deputation had met Lt Governor Sinha who had assured to solve their issues before January 15, 2021 and the workers’ strike was also suspended. He hoped that LG would hopnour his promise.
Som Nath further demanded regularization of CP/ ITI and Land case workers of PHE, remove shortage of staff at water stations and other PHE offices, clear pending SRO-43 cases, conduct DPC at Divisional and Provincial level, implement Minimum Wages Act, change the designation of the employees as per their nature of work and clear wages of 618 workers engaged 15 years ago in PHE. He also criticized Executive Engineer, Udhampur, who is holding additional charge of Mech Division for not staying at the station despite luxuary Govt accommodation available and misuse of Govt vehicle for up and down daily from Jammu. He demanded that DC must take cognizance as the departmental work was suffering.
Senior trade union leaders, Vijay Kumar, Suraj Parkash, Dinesh Kesar, Balbir Singh, Makhan Chand, Baldev Raj, Krishan Chand and others also spoke on the occasion.
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