Jal Shakti workers stage protest; demand wages, regularization

Senior Trade Union leader, Som Nath addressing protesting PHE workers at Udhampur on Friday.
Senior Trade Union leader, Som Nath addressing protesting PHE workers at Udhampur on Friday.

Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Feb 19: The employees and workers of Jal Shakti/ PHE Department held strong protest demonstration at PHE Complex, demanding release of their pending wages and regularization here today.
A large number of Jal Shakti workers/daily wagers from Ramnagar, Majalta, Chenani, Pancheri, Tikri, Gharhi- Rehmbal, Jib Thathi area of district Udhampur under the banner of Jal Shakti Employees & Workers Association led by its president and NPP Trade Union vice president for J&K UT, Som Nath assembled at PHE Complex, Udhampur during the day and launched protest demonstration. The members strongly condemned the attitude of present J&K UT Administration for not addressing issues of employees and temporary workers.
While addressing employees and workers, Som Nath alleged that despite representations to senior officers, bureaucrats and the Advisors, the authorities failed to clear the wages of the workers, who are performing their duties at their respective water stations.
Trade Union leader alleged that workers from Kashmir have received their wages up to January 2021 but unfortunately workers from Jammu region are yet to get last four months wages. They are being discriminated even under BJP rule. He alleged that Chief Engineer PHE Jammu was responsible for this discriminatory attitude.
He further said that these helpless workers are unable to feed their families and also to continue the studies of their children. He said that Lt Governor and the concerned Advisor must take cognizance of the matter and clear 65 months pending wages of the workers.
He said that on Nov 11, 2020 PHE United Front deputation led by BJP MP Jugal Kishore and state BJP president Ravinder Raina had met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha who had assured to solve their issues before January 15, 2021 but unfortunately nothing has happened so far. He hoped that LG would honour his commitment.
Som Nath further demanded regularization of CP/ ITI and Land case workers of PHE, remove shortage of staff at water stations and other PHE offices, clear pending SRO-43 cases, conduct DPC at Divisional and Provincial level, implement Minimum Wages Act, change the designation of the employees as per their nature of work and clear wages of 618 workers engaged 15 years ago in PHE.
Senior members Vijay Kumar, Suraj Parkash, Dinesh Kesar, Shamsher Singh, Karan Singh, Baldev Raj, Amit Dubey, Dara Singh and others also spoke on the occasion.