JCC’s Sectt ‘Gherao’ foiled; police uses batons, water cannons

Over 40 Govt employees detained
Fayaz Bukhari/Gopal Sharma

SRINAGAR, JAMMU, June 13: Over forty State Government employees, including their leaders were detained as police intercepted them and used force to prevent them from conducting ‘Gherao’ of Civil Secretariat at Srinagar while protest demonstrations were held by employees at various district headquarters in support of their demands across the State today.
Around 200 State Government employees led by Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) president, Khursheed Alam, gathered in Shaheed Gunj area near CAPD office, Srinagar this morning.
In the afternoon, these employees led by senior JCC leader Khursheed Alam came out on the main road and started marching towards Civil Secretariat. Police deployed in full strength intercepted them in Shaheed Gunj resulting into a scuffle. This was followed by baton-charge and using of coloured water canons against the employees.
Around 40 employees including Khursheed Alam were taken into preventive custody by police. They have been lodged in various police stations of the city.
The employees are demanding extension of the retirement age to 60 from the existing 58 years, apart from regularisation of daily-wagers engaged after 1994 and removal of pay anomalies in the clerical cadre, besides budgetary support for Public Sector Undertakings.
Last month, the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) spear-heading the State Government employees’ agitation had announced a four-day protest beginning today to press for its demands.
Today’s protest march to Civil Secretariat and its `Gherao’ was led by senior JCC leader Khursheed Alam. Tomorrow, the president of the EJAC (Q), Abdul Qayoom Wani, will lead a similar march to Civil Secretariat. And the day after tomorrow, senior JCC leader Mohd Gafoor Dar from Jammu region, is leading a similar protest march to Civil Secretariat at Srinagar.
The State Government employees will march to Raj Bhawan on June 16 and observe a complete strike as part of their four day programme to press for their demands.
The Government employees seek implementation of the agreement signed between the Government and the employees’ representatives last year. The agreement was to be implemented by March this year.
The senior JCC leader, Khursheed Alam, warned of intensifying the strike programme to press for their demands. He said that the JCC leaders had given 20 days time to Government for the implementation of the agreement. “Government has failed to resolve the issue during all these days and failed to keep the channels of the communication open”, he added.
Mr Alam said that employees were in favour of resolving the issue through dialogue but Government didn’t come forward. He said that keeping in view of the atmosphere of peace across Kashmir and tourist season State Government employees gave time to Government to implement the agreement. “Now the time has come to intensify the agitation”, said Mr Alam adding that the future programme will be announced soon.
The JCC leader alleged that Government is trying to create wedge between Government employees and unemployed youth of the State. He said that Government has failed to fulfill its agreement which it reached with the employees last year.
In Jammu, the employees from various departments held protest demonstrations at their respective offices in support of their demands. A group of employees moved to DC office under the leadership of EJAC (K) leaders Kulwant Singh, Shahid Hussain and Yash Pal and held protest demonstration there. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands.
After staging protest at DC office for some time, they later submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Jammu for State Governor N N Vohra, listing charter of demands. Due to protests of the employees, the normal work in many offices remained affected today. Operational staff of Health, PHE and PDD was exempted from the protest programme.
In Poonch, a large number of employees under the leadership of Amrik Singh and Karam Hussain Shah took out protest rally and then staged protest at DC office for about two hours. Employees’ leader Tanveer Shawl led the protest demonstration at DC office, Rajouri while at Kathua, Mohinder Raina and Jagjeet Singh led the protest demonstration at Mini Secretariat complex. These employees after staging protest for some time dispersed.
In Doda, Fareed Ahmed Fani while at Kishtwar EJAC leaders Sayed Zakir Hussain led the protest demonstrations. They also submitted memoranda to the State Governor through respective Dy Commissioners. Similar protest demonstrations were held at Leh, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur and Ramban besides Nowshera, Sunderbani, Akhnoor and R S Pura, a JCC spokesman said.