Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Aug 5: The PHE employees and temporary workers staged strong protest demonstration at the main PHE Complex here today.
A large number of PHE workers/ daily wagers from various Sub Divisions of Udhampur district assembled at the PHE Complex Udhampur, M H Morh here today under the banner of Water Works/ PHE Employees Association led by senior Trade Union leader Som Nath and launched protest. They shouted slogans against the PHE officers and the State Administration. They strongly condemned the attitude of the previous BJP-PDP Government and the UT Administration led by Lt Governor G C Murmu.
While addressing the large meeting of workers, Som Nath alleged that despite many representations to senior officers, bureaucrats and the Advisors, the authorities failed to clear the wages of the workers, who are performing their duties at their respective water stations. They are facing worst kind of exploitation at the hands of the Government. No Human Rights organization has bothered to listen to the plight of these ‘bonded labourers’ in the J&K PHE department, he said.
These helpless workers are unable to feed their families and continue the studies of their children. Some children have dropped out as their parents failed to pay school fees. He said that the concerned Advisor must take cognizance of the matter and clear the wages of the workers in phased manner, if not in one go.
Som Nath further demanded regularization of CP/ ITI and Land case workers of PHE, remove shortage of staff at water stations and other PHE offices, clear pending SRO-43 cases, conduct DPC at Divisional and Provincial level, change the designation of the employees as per their nature of work and also release wages of imprest workers engaged about 15 years ago.
He appealed the PHE United Front Jammu to take action against the policies of the Govt and support the helpless workers in their cause.
Senior trade union leaders – Vijay Kumar, Suraj Parkash, Dinesh Kesar, Jagdish Mangotra, Makhan Chand, Baldev Raj, Krishan Chand and others also spoke on the occasion.
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