Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 17: The daily rated, consolidated and ITI trained workers of PHE department today took out a strong protest rally and conducted the ‘gherao’ of the office of Chief Engineer PHE at BC Road here.
A large number of PHE workers, which are on strike since Sept 7, 2018, assembled at Exhibition Grou-nd near Press Club in the morning. The workers from all the Divisions and PHE sub Divisions of Jammu district, besides Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch Doda etc. in thousands under the leadership, Tanveer Hussain shouting slogans in support of their demands moved towards the office of Chief Engineer PHE, Jammu at BC Road near General Bus Stand. Click here to watch video
They conducted the ‘Gherao’ of the PHE complex and sat on dharna at the main gate of the office. Even they blocked the Road for more than one and half hour. Many of them were carrying banners depicting their demands of release of wages and their regularization. They also raised loud slogans against Chief Engineer, Commissioner/ Secretary PHE, I&FC and the concerned Advisor.
Besides Tanveer Hussain, several other trade unionists addressed the gathering and strongly criticized the higher authorities for not releasing their wages for the last about four years. They alleged that neither the Govt completed process of their regularization, not it released wages of the workers despite assurances even on the floor of the Assembly House and outside by the previous Govt. They alleged that their families have been left for starvation. Even they are unable to pay the school fees of their children and feed them. The Governor’s Administration has also turned a deaf ear towards their plight.
They pointed out that there are about 22,000 such workers who await Govt response. They urged upon the Governor and the concerned Advisor, K K Sharma to address their long pending issue on humanitarian ground.
Later, Chief Engineer in presence of police officers talked to the agitating daily wagers and assured that he has strongly taken up their issue with the Advisor and Commissioner/ secretary. Tanveer said that they will wait up to December 21 and if nothing happened they will launch ‘Indefinite Gherao’ of Raj Bhawan from December 24.
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