Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/ SRINAGAR, Feb 10: The PHE workers who are on `Kam Chhor Hartal’ since February 7, today have extended their on going strike for the next 72- hours while workers held strong protests at Srinagar and Jammu besides some other districts.
The PHE workers are on strike under the banner of PHE Employees United Front, Jammu province. They are sitting on protest dharna in the office of Chief Engineer, PHE BC Road complex since February 7. They are demanding release of their pending wages, regularization, conduct of DPC of all cadre, filling up of vacant posts, repair/ maintenance of pumping houses/ water stations and basic facilities at water stations for the staff.
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While talking to media-persons at BC Road PHE Complex senior members of the Front said that work remained totally paralysed in all the PHE Divisions like PHE City-I, North, South, Rural Jammu, PHE Div Kathua, Samba, Akhnoor, Udhampur, Rajouri, Nowshera, Poonch, Doda, Ramban, Reasi, Dharmari Ground Water Drilling Division, Procurement and Kishtwar.
They said that authorities have not responded properly or bothered to address their issues. Therefore, they have decided to continue their agitation till the honourable negotiation and settlement of all the issues. They decided to extend their strike for next 72 hours / up to Thursday. They also regretted the inconvenience being caused to the general public due to suspension of water supply.
They also extended gratitude to the permanent employees of the PHE Department for their massive support to the on going Kam Chhor Hartal.
Prominent employees leaders/ trade unionists who addressed the agitationg employees included – Bakshi Singh, Bhanu Partap Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Ravi Kumar, Som Nath, Hoshiar Singh, Swarn Singh, Deepak Gupta, Mitual Sharma, Navdeep and V K Manhas.
With the suspension of water supply in many areas, the general public held protests in various Jammu City localities and criticized the PHE authorities for their failure to ensure adequate supply of water. Many areas are reeling under water scarcity. The reports said that condition is more grim in rural areas where people are forced to move to the traditional old water sources. Such reports have been received from Kathua, Samba, Akhnoor, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Mendhar and other areas.
Meanwhile, PHE employees from Kashmir today held a protest demonstration in support of their fellow employees in Jammu who are on strike for last couple of days.
Assembling here at the Press Enclave, the workers demanded that the Government must immediately address the issues faced by the Jammu PHE employees, failing which the PHE employees in Kashmir will intensify the agitation.
“The employees in Jammu are on strike for last so many days, but the Government does not seem to be caring enough. We are appealing the administration to address all their issues such as their regularization, pending wages including others,” said Trade Union leader Sajad Ahmad Parray.
He said while they demand that their issues must be addressed immediately, the Kashmir PHE employees, he said, have decided to give a strike call which will affect the work of the department across Kashmir.
“We appeal the administration to talk to the representatives of the PHE employees in Jammu and try to figure out something about their issues as soon possible; we also appeal the LG to look into the matter and do the needful in resolving the issues which is humanitarian in nature,” the employees said.
They further said that it was unfortunate that the higher-ups were not taking their issues seriously and were resorting to callousness. “You know we are protesting to press for our demands for long now, but we are up and will make the authorities to resolve our issues,” they said, adding that while Jammu people are already up against the administration if they are not heard, we will also start the agitation.
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