Manjit appeals Govt to look into demands of truck owners

Excelsior Correspondent
VIJAYPUR, Feb 14: Former Minister and senior Congress leader Manjit Singh today appealed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to accept the demands of the protesting truck drivers/owners in Samba, who are being ignored in allotting work by the industrialists.
Addressing truck drivers and operators at Vijaypur today. Mr Singh said that these industries have spread pollution in the areas of Samba and have allegedly made the human life difficult. He alleged that people have been facing health related problems due to the pollution which is being allegedly spread by the industrial units in Samba.
The Government should order investigation to ascertain as why these units do not fulfill the required norms. He said these industries take rebate from the Government in electricity and other things for running their units but they did not fulfill the commitments.
He further alleged that locals have no ‘job security’ or facilities as employees of the industries since they are engaged on the contract basis and can be removed any time.
The industrialists provide salaries of the ‘contract labourers’ to their contractors and then the salaries are distributed indirectly from contractors to labourers but not by the concerned units with them the labourers work.
“The Government should order a probe into the nexus between the politicians, administration, and the industrialists,” he demanded.
Referring to the trucks and drivers arrested by the police recently, Manjit said, the police should immediately release the 62 drivers who have been arrested. Some of them were released on bail recently and rests are still being the bars.
“These drivers were protesting for their genuine demands. The industrial units, which are expected to provide job opportunity to the locals, have not taken the trucks of the locals on contractors,” he said.