Excelsior Correspondent
—Excelsior/Amin War
SRINAGAR, June 9: Police today foiled Secretariat gherao by the employees of local bodies of Gulmarg and Pahalgam who were protesting against the recent Government decision to abolish these Municipal Committees.
Over 20 employees including president of the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), Qayoom Wani and senior leader Shabir Ahmad were taken into preventive custody and around two dozen were injured when police charged batons on them when they were proceeding towards the Civil Secretariat.
Hundreds of local body employees of Gulmarg and Pahalgam gathered at Partap Park Press Enclave raising slogans in favour of their demands.
They were protesting against abolishing Municipal Committees of Gulmarg and Pahalgam. The employees said they were also not paid their salaries for the past about six months.
There are around 400 permanent employees and around 250 causal and daily rated employees working in these two local bodies whose fate hangs in balance.
The employees later marched in a procession towards Civil Secretariat. However, Police stopped them at Budshah bridge. But when the employees continued their march and Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them. Around two dozen employees were injured in the baton charging.
The president of the Jammu and Kashmir Urban Local Bodies, Manzoor Ahmad Pampori told Excelsior that they will continue to protest against the Government decision unless it is revoked. He said that some of the employees are on the verge of retirement and others have families to support. He urged the Government to revoke the order.
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