Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Oct 22: District INTUC president and provincial senior vice president of Water Works (PHE) Employees Association, Som Nath, strongly criticized the State Government for adding insult to the injury as far as releasing pay and perks of PHE employees and workers were concerned as they have not been paid their dues for the past one month and the Government has made a cruel joke by releasing pay of only 15 to 20 days in their favour.
Som Nath was addressing a largely attended workers and employees meeting at Marothi in Latti area of Dudu Basantgarh in district Udhampur. He wondered that if provision of pay has been kept in the State budget then why the wages were not being released in time.
He appealed the Chief Minister for his personal intervention into the matter so that pending wages could be released immediately as workers were suffering and facing starvation like situation.
Other demands highlighted in the meeting pertained to engagement of staff to man all the water supply schemes on which crores of rupees have been spent by the Government, so that over-burdened workers could be provided some relief. Rational transfer policy in favour of those workers who have rendered over three years services away from home towns, conduct of DPC meeting, which does not involve financial burden, but has not been held during the past 18 years.
Som Nath also demanded that imprest and estimate workers be considered as Daily Wagers.
Others who spoke included Vijay Kumar, Rattan Singh, Subash Chander, Makhan Chand, Jagdish Magotra, Govind Ram, Charan Dass, Prabhu Lal etc.