Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 24: The daily rated, consolidated and ITI trained workers of PHE Department today took out a strong protest rally towards Civil Secretariat but their ‘Sectt Gherao’ programme was foiled by police.
A large number of PHE workers, who are on strike since Sept 7, 2018, assembled at Exhibition Ground near Press Club in the morning. The workers from all the Divisions and PHE sub Divisions of Jammu district, besides Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi etc. in thousands under the leadership, Tanveer Hussain shouting slogans in support of their demands moved towards the Civil Secretariat. Click here to watch video
They planned to conduct ‘Gherao’ of Secretariat. After passing through Dogra Chowk, JP Chowk and when they reached near Indira Chowk, a strong police contingent stopped them raising barricades. They blocked the road and disrupted the movement of traffic for about an hour. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands and also against the Governor Administration. 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. They have little scuffle with cops but could not move ahead.
Tanveer Hussain, president and 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. They pointed out that there are about 22,000 such workers who await Govt response. They urged upon the Governor and the Advisor, K K Sharma to address their long pending issues.
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