Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 7: Voluntarily retired SRTC workers’ secretariat Gherao programme was foiled by police here today.
Earlier, the VRS given workers held strong protest demonstration against the SRTC Management and State Government at Exhibition Ground here in the morning. Led by Dev Raj Bali, president, All J&K SRTC Voluntarily Retired Employees Association, the members of the organisation assembled near Press Club and then started protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands and also against the SRTC Management and State Finance Department.
Mr Bali while speaking on the occasion strongly criticized the SRTC authorities for not paying arrears of the VRS given SRTC employees. He alleged that over 700 workers of the Corporation are feeling duped as they have been denied their arrears by the management of the SRTC. They are struggling for their hard earned money for the last over five years.
The speakers alleged that hardly 50% arrears have been given to the workers while arrears of the 6th Pay Commission and COLA installments have been denied to them by the SRTC management. They pointed out that during last five years of struggle, 12 VRS/GHS employees have died as they could not afford medical treatment.
They demanded 6th Pay Commission arrears from January Ist, 2006 and COLA arrears since 1999 besides pension benefits and 8.33 % bonus on the basic pay.
They appealed the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to intervene into the matter.
As the protesting retired workers moved towards Gumat for the ongoing protest rally to Secretariat, the police intercepted and stalled their onward movement. After showing some resistance, then they dispersed.
Prominent among others accompanying Bali included, Balwinder Singh, Prem Nath, Mohinder Singh, J D Singh, Gulshan Singh and Dwarka Nath.
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