Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, July 2: Expressing serious concern over about 20,000 workers of PHE Department having been without wages for the past one and a half year, provincial vice president of PHE Employees Association, Som Nath appealed the Government to immediately release the meager wages of the workers which have not been paid to them since long.
Som Nath was addressing a largely attended protest dharna of the association at PHE Complex here in which employees and workers drawn from Kud, Patnitop, Chenani, Jaganoo, Barta, Manwal, Mansar, Khoon, Majalta, Krimchi, Battal Ballian, Garhi Rehmbal, Tikri and other areas participated and raised slogans in support of their demands.
The speakers in the meeting said that in place of mitigating the sufferings of the workers, the authorities were out to eliminate the workers. The Minister concerned was appealed to frame clear cut policy for the department so that workers may not suffer any more, otherwise it would become difficult for them to ruin the system without wages.
Other demands highlighted in the meeting pertained to filling up all the vacant posts to run water supply smoothly; Holding of DPC meeting at an earliest as no financial burden was involved and the same was not conducted for the past 18 years; Change of designation as per nature of job being performed; and Conversion of all imprest, Estimate workers and land donors as daily wagers, the formal orders for which were still awaited despite completion of all formalities.
They also demanded enhancement in wages as a private labour is getting Rs 300 per day.
Appealing the Government to fulfill all the demands of the workers, Som Nath said the workers would be compelled to go in for undeclared strike.
Others who spoke in the meeting included Vijay Kumar, Rattan Singh, Suraj Parkash, Jagdish Magotra, Subash Chander, Baldev Raj, Krishan Chand, Chuni Lal, Shiv Lal, Lakshman Singh,Janait Ali, Balbir Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Amardev Singh etc.
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