DODA , MAR 08 (KNO) : Continuing their struggle , daily-wagers of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department staged a protest in the front of Office of Superintend Engineers (PHE) Doda against non-payment of their wages from eight months. Amid slogans in support of immediate release of their pending wages through their bank accounts, the protesters also demanded immediate implementation of regularization policy.
While addressing the protesters, Mohd Sajad General secretary All Jammu and Kashmir PHE ITI trained workers association Jammu expressed the view that in the State budget nothing has been kept for PHE daily wagers at a time when they are without wages for the past over 8 months while the Government is trying to eliminate the poor workers of the PHE Department. He wondered that when thousands of crores of rupees can be made available for projects why not they provides wages to the poor workers. The other demands voiced in the protest included Release of wages which are pending for the past over 8 months; Implementation of Minimum Wages Act; Immediate regularization of workers; Revision of sanctioned strength of the department, as there was no revision of sanctioned strength of field functionaries of the department for the past 40 years; Meeting shortage of staff to effectively man the on-going water supply schemes; .
Enhancement in daily wage rate to Rs 150 to Rs 400.If the demands are not redressed Workers also informed that they will start agitation by holding one day protest on all district headquarters in Jammu region. Protesting workers appealed the concerned higher officers of the department and the Minister to intervene personally into the matter and release their wages.(KNO)