Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 13: While the water supply continued to be affected in many parts of Jammu region due to ongoing strike of the PHE workers for the last seven days, the PHE Employees United Front resolved to extend its strike for next 72 hours.
The PHE workers are on strike under the banner of PHE Employees United Front, Jammu province since February 7. They are sitting on protest dharna in the office of Chief Engineer, PHE BC Road complex besides other district and Sub Divisional headquarters. They are demanding release of their pending wages, regularization, conduct of DPC of all cadre, filling up of vacant posts, repair/ maintenance of pumping houses/ water stations and basic facilities at water stations for the staff.
While addressing protesting workers senior members of the Front said that work remained totally paralysed in all the PHE Divisions like PHE City-I, North, South, Rural Jammu, PHE Div Kathua, Samba, Akhnoor, Udhampur, Rajouri, Nowshera, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi, Dharmari Ground Water Dirrling Division, Procurement etc.
They alleged that concerned higher authorities have not responded properly to their demands and they have been forced to extend their strike. Therefore, they decided to continue their agitation till the honourable negotiation and settlement of all the issues. The leadership now resolved to extend the strike up to Thursday. They also regretted the inconvenience being caused to the general public due to suspension of water supply.
They claimed that some senior officers are threatening to lodge FIR against stricking employees. They said the officers are not coming out for the talks and resolution of issues. They should pay their pending wages of 58 months. The employees will also be forced to file counter FIR for denying them wages by the officers.
Prominent employees leaders/ trade unionists who addressed the agitationg employees included – Swarn Singh, Bakshi Singh, Ravi Kumar, Tanveer Hussain, Jyoti Kumar, Bhanu Partap Singh, Som Nath, Kulbhushan Singh, Hoshiar Singh, Deepak Gupta, Subhash Rakwal, VK Manhas and others.
In view of ongoing strike of the employees, the water supply has been badly effected in many parts of Jammu city and rural areas of the region. The general public has been badly suffering due to suspension of water supply.
Meanwhile, Chief Engineer PHE Jammu, Dr Sanjeev Chadha has appealed to the general public of Jammu City and other areas of the region to use water judiciously in view of the strike of the PHE daily wagers.
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