STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Pursuant to the ultimatum served to the State Government that in case various demands of the employees put forth are not met or SGEJAC called for negotiations, the employees in large number held protest demonstration at Mubarak Mandi Complex raising slogans in favour of the demands and against the failure of the Govt.
The protesters marched towards Governor’s House to register protest and hand over memorandum of demands.
The leaders from all over Jammu province headed by Sushil Sudan, Suresh Sharma, Subash Verma and from Kashmir province headed by Aijaz Khan, B.A Meer made hectic efforts to reach Raj Bhawan.
A large contingent of police used mild Lathicharge and did not allow the employees to reach Governor House.
The leaders while addressing the gathering warned the police for suppressing the peaceful march and appealed to the Governor to intervene and not allow its own employees to come on the streets and adopt agitation path.
They also appealed to the Governor to call immediate meeting with the SGEJAC to sort out various pending issues amicably.
They declared that further strong action would be announced after having consultation with all the trade union leaders on a broader unity for a common cause.
Later on the leaders submitted a memorandum of demands for consideration of the Governor at the earliest.
They demanded sanctioning of dislocation allowance to the employees working in the rural areas, immediate release of 6 per cent DA, removal of pay anomalies of all the cadres including clerical cadre, enhancement of Medical Allowance to Rs 3,000, regularisation of all the daily wagers working before and after 1994, reorganisation and budgetary support to the PSU employees, timely release of salary to SSA, 2211 Family Welfare Head and Anganwari workers, reorganisation of various departments including the municipality, holding of regular DPCs, setting up of the appropriate committee for analysing and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report in the State so as to minimise the chances of confrontation etc.
Besides these, they also demanded merger of State Forest Corporation with Forest Department, declaration of five days week to the employees working outside the Civil Secretariat, announcement of Health Insurance Policy, roll back of Income Tax on EPF interest and negotiation with the female staff of KGBV who are on hunger strike.
