Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 7: Hundreds of Sakshar Bharat Mission (SBM) employees on today protested against Government and demanded release of their withheld salaries.
The employees, which include women as well, assembled at Pratap Park under the banner of Sakhshar Bharat Employees Forum. The employees were led by EJAC president and Teachers Forum chairman, Abdul Qayoom Wani.
The agitating SBM employees said that the Government hasn’t paid their salaries from last three years. They said that they have been “forced” to come out on streets against the “injustice” and accused new Government of failing them.
The employees were shouting slogans like “we want justice” and “release our salaries”. They were also holding placards inscribed with same slogans.
SBM is a centrally sponsored scheme and functions under the guidelines issued by Ministry of Human Resource Development.
“We haven’t been paid a single penny for last 3 years and as a result, we have come virtually to a stage of starvation. The State Government has not formed a clear policy in this regard and made us scapegoats,” the employees said.
The employees later marched to Press Enclave where senior Trade Union leader and EJAC president, Abdul Qayoom Wani, addressed them.
Soon after his address concluded, the agitating employees tried to march towards Radio Kashmir but were stopped by police personal deployed outside the press enclave. The police also detained nearly a dozen employees including EJAC president.
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