Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: The PDD daily wagers continued their protest dharna outside the office premises of SE, EM&RE Circle I, Jammu on the 81st consecutive day, today.
The workers led by Bharat Singh, chairman, All J&K PDD Daily Wagers Union, Jammu province and president, Surjeet Khajuria, started their ‘Kam Chhor Hartal’ on November 28. Today was the 81st day of the strike and protest dharna.
The protesting workers were shouting slogans in support of their demand of regularization and enhancement of their wages besides clearance of all the pending wages. They were also demanding the release of their wages in time, conduct of DPC of all cadre. They further demanded that discrimination with the daily wagers from Jammu region be stopped and they should be treated at par with those from Kashmir region.
While speaking on the occasion, Surjeet Khajuria said, “In the year 2013 vide cabinet decision, the Government has announced that 1500 daily wager employees from Jammu province and 1500 employees from Kashmir Province will be regularized. Till today more than 2000 daily wager employees have been regularized in the department but only 873 of them belong to Jammu province, which clearly shows that Jammu province is still facing injustice on the hands of the superiors of the department.”
Khajuria appealed deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the charge of the PDD, to issue necessary direction to SE Circle-I M&RE PDD, Panama Chowk, Jammu for holding DPC in order to provide regularization benefits to daily wagers as early as possible.
Meanwhile, members of the Akhnoor committee of the Union today conducted a peace march and presented a memorandum to the SDM Akhnoor to present the same to Deputy Chief Minister to redress the genuine grievances of the Union.