Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: Provincial electric employees held strong protest demonstration in the office complex of Chief Engineer, EM&RE at Bhagwati Nagar, Canal Road here today.
A large number of Power Development Department employees, under the banner of Provincial Electric Employees Union, Jammu led by its president, PC Sharma assembled at Canal Road and then moved to the office of Chief Engineer (EM&RE). They held protest demonstration for some time and then sat on day long protest dharna.
Many PDD workers from Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur and other parts of the region participated in the protest programme. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands and also against the Government and higher authorities in the Power Development Department.
PC Sharma and several other senior trade unionists also addressed the gathering and criticized the Government for not addressing the pending issues of the workers. They were demanding amendment in SRO 520 by including some points in the new policy. They pointed out that infrastructure of PDD increased 400 times receiving stations and sub stations , lines and new connections since 1981, the year of partial re-organisation of the department but no post of lineman, junior lineman, SBA, Foreman etc was created in the department thereafter.
Under such circumstances, the department has no option either to engage these need base/ casual labourers among 60,000 workers at lower level posts or to go for fresh recruitment. The Chief Engineers time and again informed the higher authorities about this matter but no new posts were created by Administrative Department. The wages of these temporary workers are pending for the last many months and the Government is least bothered about it.
They further said there was strong need to amend new policy of regularization as SRO 520 was not acceptable in present form. They demanded that proper scale be allotted while their conversion into regular cadre, benefit of SRO 43 should also be included in the policy, promotion avenues be created for such workers, the allowances given to NPS employees be incorporated in the said policy and need based workers who are in the list but not paid even single time be paid like other workers by making their budgetary provision against wages head.
Later, the Union submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, Dy Chief Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Secretary and Commissioner / Secretary Power.
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