Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: The general public continued to suffer due to the strike of PHE daily wagers, ITI trained and CP workers of the PHE Department for the last 45 days while the State Government has miserably failed to solve their issue.
The strike of these workers, seeking their regularization and release of pending wages for over 35 months, today entered the 45th consecutive day. The people especially residing in rural areas and Kandi belt of Jammu, Samba and Kathua are facing acute shortage of water.
Many areas, especially the entire Kandi belt including Akhnoor, Khour, Gharota, Bhalwal, Hiranagar, Kootah, Rattanpur Surara, Sumb, Nud, Saruinsar, Dinga Amb, Sallan, Thein, Mangloor, Ghagwal, Samba, Gurha Slathian, Purmandal, Bari Brahmana, Rajbagh, Barnoti, Ghati, Kathua, Lakhanpur and Basantpur are facing severe shortage of drinking water. The people have been forced to fetch water from the old traditional sources and even from the river during these hot summer days.
Most of the water pumping stations / tube wells were being operated by temporary staff of PHE Civil and Mechanical wing while with their strike for the last one and half month, the department failed to run these stations and operate motors. The people are unable to get water even after 3-4 days. No alternate arrangements of water supply through tankers has been made in these areas. The public is being forced to come out on the roads to lodge their protest against the Government with the rising temperature day by day. Even supply to many areas of Jammu city is also badly hit. There is no water supply to Janipur, Lakad Mandi, Shant Nagar, Indira Colony, Naseeb Nagar, Bhawani Nagar for the last two days.
A large number of workers under the leadership of Tanveer Hussain, Union president are sitting on protest dharna at PHE complex. They held strong protest demonstration against the Government today. They have suspended entire work in the region. The department is facing difficulty to maintain supply to the public as only permanent staff is performing duty and they are over burdened. The Government has turned mute spectator. It is least bothered to find a way out to ensure essential supplies.
Tanveer Hussain and several other trade unionists also addressed the gathering and alleged that despite assurances by senior officers their issues have remained un-resolved. They demanded that a policy be framed for the regularization of all type of temporary workers. They also demanded immediate release of their pending wages.
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