SRINAGAR: The police used force today to foil a protest march by employees of the State Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department here on Monday demanding regularisation of daily-wage and casual workers.
Hundreds of employees assembled near the Central Telegraph Office here and tried to march towards city centre of Lal Chowk.
The police asked them to disperse but the protesters insisted on going forward, the officials said. The police then resorted to a baton charge and used water cannons to disperse the protesters.
More than a dozen were detained by the police, an official said.
The protest call was given by the Kashmir PHE Joint Employees Association to press for of its demand for regularisation of daily wage workers, casual labourers and need-based workers.
Meanwhile, condemning the police action, senior CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the government was compounding the grievances of the daily wagers bu using force.
“Despite assurances on the floor of the house about regularisation of the daily wagers, casual labourers and other contractual employees, it is appalling that the government is still far from fulfilling its commitment, he said.
The CPI (M) leader also urged upon the government to immediately release the workers, who have been detained by the police.