*Talks with minister end in deadlock
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 24: The daily rated, ITI trained and CP workers of PHE Department continued their massive protest demonstration in support of their demands at BC Road office complex of the department on 16th consecutive day today.
A large number of workers, under the banner of All J&K PHE, ITI Trained & CP Workers Association, headed by its provincial president, Tanveer Hussain assembled at BC Road office of the Chief Engineer here in the morning and started protest demonstration against the higher authorities. The workers were raising loud slogans against the Chief Engineer and Minister for PHE, I&FC Sukhnandan Choudhary.
The agitating workers are demanding to frame proper policy for their regularization. They have threatened to stop the water supply to all the areas including Katra Mata Vaishno Devi. They alleged that Government has turned a deaf ear towards to their plight.
These agitating workers were raising slogans in support of their demands including regularization, timely and regular payment of their wages and enhancement in rate of their daily wages. They demanded that disparity in the wages of the Valley based and Jammu region workers be removed and unique wage system be adopted in all the three regions of the State.
Mr Tanveer alleged that despite assurance by the sitting and former minister for PHE and senior officers, their demands have not been addressed. Many of them have been working for the last more than 15 to 20 years but they are waiting for their regularization. He said another round of talks with PHE Minister Sukhnandan Choudhary on Wednesday also ended in deadlock and they have not been given any solid assurance and told about any road map. They simply said that a Sub-committee will be framed to resolve the issue. There was no mention of time frame, members or clear road map. So they have decided to continue their agitation.
Tanveer further alleged great discrimination with the workers of Jammu region. He said the money which was released for the ITI trained workers vide Govt order No. FD-VIII-23/1/2009 dated 30-6-2015 was Rs 1400.36 crore whereas, Jammu’s share was kept just Rs 287.79 crore while lion’s share of Rs 1116.57 crore was kept for the workers of Kashmir. This is glaring example of discrimination by the Government with Jammu workers and our Jammu ministers and BJP MLAs are sleeping. He said with the delaying attitude of the Government, the workers are facing starvation.
Follow our WhatsApp channel