Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 4: As a part of their two day strike programme, the truck drivers and cleaners of J&K State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) today held protest demonstration at Narwal depot of SRTC here today.
The workers under the banner of J&K State Road Transport Corporation Workers Union led by Union president, Paramjit Singh and general secretary Janak Raj Choudhary assembled at Narwal Cargo Yard of SRTC and held protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans against Food and Supplies department for its decision to hire private trucks for distribution/ transportation of ration instead of over 350 trucks of the SRTC.
They alleged that in violation of SRO-157, the FCS&CA Department has gone for hiring of the private trucks just to accommodate a private blue eyed transporter. With this Govt move the SRTC will face acute losses which has able to hardly sustain during last several years.
Similar protest was held at Srinagar depot of the SRTC where Union Chairman Wajahat Hussain was leading. He alleged that FCS&CA department has yet to pay Rs 17 crore of the SRTC as carriage charges and instead of making payment, they have now decided to hire private trucks. He said that truckers of the SRTC observed complete strike in the State and tomorrow also they will observe strike and hold protests.
He claimed that SRTC Workers Union has given three day’s ultimatum to the Govt to withdraw this order otherwise, entire SRTC fleet including buses would go off the road and all the workers/ employees would join the indefinite agitation. The Union sough the intervention of Chief Minister and Governor into the matter.