Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 1: JK RTI Movement (JKRTIM) today demanded rollback of the order issued by Director Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) Srinagar in which 135 farm labourers who worked as daily wagers for more than 12 years have been disengaged.
The agitated workers in this regard held a protest along with Chairman RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar outside the main campus of CITH at Kralpora Rangreth.
“Around 165 persons are working on a contract basis in the CITH farm at Kralpora Rangreth for the last 10 to 20 years. Most of them work as farm labourers and some as security guards. More than a dozen are experts in horticulture activities who have set up ultra-high-density apple, pear, peach, walnut and almond plantations in the area,” Dr Raja Muzaffar said.
He said that the state land belonging to villages of Kralpora and Wathoora was provided by JK Govt in 1994 to Ministry of Agriculture Govt of India (ICAR) “and today the locals from these villages and other areas who work on mere Rs 300 to 400 / day are being thrown out by the CITH. This is complete injustice.”
The Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture -CITH under auspices of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was started in 1994 as a premier institute with its headquarters at Srinagar and Regional Station at Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand.
CIPM leader M Y Tarigami, former Minister and NC leader Aga Ruhullah also criticized the action of CITH against farm labourers. JK RTI Movement said that both the leaders have asked the Director to roll back the said order.
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