Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: The police resorted to lathi-charge on the daily wage workers and casual labourers of PHE/ Jal Shakti Department when they were protesting in Gandhi Nagar here today.
Official sources said that a large number of PHE daily wagers led by Ravi Hans and other Union leaders, assembled near Gole Market Gandhinagar and then started moving towards BJP head office. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands.
Carrying banners and placards in hands, the protesting workers were demanding their regularization and release of pending wages. They alleged that the workers are facing exploitation. They are not being paid regularly while their families are facing starvation. Despite, assurance by the Lt Governor in presence of MP Jugal Kishore and BJP president Ravinder Raina last year, their issue was not resolved even after the passage of one year, despite the fact that they had sought three months time.
Hundreds of protesting PHE workers from various tehsils of Jammu, were suddenly stopped by a strong contingent of police led by SHO Gandhinagar and SP south when they had covered hardly 200 meters of distance. The police tried to stop them but amidst resistance, the policemen resorted to lathi-charge. A few workers sustained minor inquiries during police action. Then they started raising slogans against the LG’s Administration and BJP, besides its leaders.
Several trade union leaders also addressed the gathering and strongly criticized the BJP Govt at the Centre, Jammu based leaders and LG’s Administration for ignoring the working class and their sheer exploitation. They alleged that LG’s administration was trying to suppress the voice of Trade unions and employees in J&K. No political leader or bureaucrat is prepared to listen to the issues of the workers. Later, they were made to disperse by police forcibly.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader, Devender Singh Rana condemned lathi-charge on agitating daily-wage employees of Jal Shakti Department, adding that peaceful protests to draw the attention for resolution of problems is democratic.
In a statement here, Rana said that the daily wage employees of the PHE/Jal Shakti and other departments have been agitating for over 22 years in support of their demand with regard to regularization and redressal of other issues.
“These daily wagers are needed to be heard and not be subjected to use of force”, Rana said, hoping that the administration will set right the wrong of over two decades by finding out a solution to their festering problems, as thousands of families of these unfortunate workers are suffering.
The senior BJP leader urged the administration to draw a road map for regularization of all the daily wagers as per norms set from time to time.
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