PHE employees awaiting justice

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Apr 2: Water Works (PHE) Employees Association Udhampur held a meeting of executive members of both the districts of Udhampur and Reasi at PHE Complex here under the chairmanship of Som Nath, senior vice president of the Association for Jammu province, wherein it was stressed with anguish that justice has eluded them so far.
While addressing the meeting executive members of both the districts criticized the Direction Office for releasing wages of community participation and ITI workers in such a manner that while a few workers have been released wages for six months, others have been left out high and dry.
Mr Som Nath in his address appealed all the associations of the PHE Department to form a United Front so that demands of the employees and workers could be got fulfilled.
The other demands voiced in the meeting included Release of  wages which are pending for the past over 30 months; Implementation of Minimum Wages Act; Immediate regularization of workers; Meeting shortage of staff to effectively man the on-going water supply schemes; Change of designation as per nature of job being performed by the workers; Payment to those engaged in lieu of land donation; Release of 6% DA installment to employees and workers from July 2015; and Enhancement in daily wage rate to Rs 150 to Rs 400.
It was also demanded for putting an end to the discrimination being meted out to the employees of Jammu province by way of very less emoluments to them as compared to their counterparts in Kashmir valley.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Vijay Kumar, Makhan Chand, Baldev Raj, Krishan Chand, Ved Parkash, Sanjay Sharma, Karan Singh, Shambu Dutt, Janait Ali, Shamsher Singh, Charan Dass, Prem Nath, Ganesh Chand, Sukh Ram, Rakesh Kumar, Kuldeep Kumar, Raj Kumar etc.