STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: On 14th day of their continuous agitation, Dharmarth Trust employees on Monday held a strong protest in front of office of Divisional Commissioner Jammu demanding redressal of their demands. A large number of Dharmarth Trust employees including priests of Shri Raghunath Mandir, Hari Bhawan Purmandal, Uttar Behani, Birpur under banner of Dharmarth Trust Employees Association (DTEA) assembled in front of Div Com Jammu’s office and raised slogans against Trust management.
Later, they submitted a memorandum of demands to Divisional Commissioner Jammu requesting him to intervene into the matter for early redressal.
Speaking on the occasion, President of the Association, Vivek Bandral and senior member, Rajinder Shastri besides ex-General Secretary, Pritam Sharma and ex-president, Karnail Chand said that they have submitted charter of demands to trust management but instead of settling demands of employees, the management suspended Association President, General Secretary and other office bearers with malafide attention and revengeful attitude to crush trade union activities.
Whenever employees raised their voice, they said, their service has been terminated. “It already happened in 2001 when service of the Association President and General Secretary were terminated as they projected demands of poor and low paid employees of the trust and tried to expose corrupt policies of trust management. Now, the management is again adopting the same method and has suspended five employees, to pressurise other employees,” they added. The protesting members urged Divisional Commissioner to constitute a committee headed by high-level Government official to look the genuine demands problem of the trust employees until unless Shrine Board is not constituted for Dharmarth Trust temples. They further said that along with continuous agitation, Association is going to start ‘Jan Jagran Abhiyan’ from tomorrow to make people aware about mismanagement in Dharmarth Trust.
The Divisional Commissioner, after listening to issues of deputation, assured them for taking up the matter with LG.
Others present on the occasion included Surjeet Singh, Parshotam Sharma, Ram Paul Sharma, Rajinder Sharstri, Jagjeet Chand, Anil Sharma, Balwant Shatari, Harbans Shastari, Madan Sharma, Pt. Jeeven Kumar, Kundan Lal, Subash Shastri, Rakesh Shastari, Rekha Devi, Bandana Devi, Sneha Handa, Vimal Khahuria, Bablu Kumar, Pt. Ashwani Kumar, Sat Paul Pandit, Sagar Singh and Bhikham Singh.