Mubashir Naik
Casual labourers and daily rated workers, working in different Government departments in J&K have warned Govt that they will resume their indefinite strike if their demand of regularization and release of wages as promised by Lt Governor M K Sinha in presence of BJP State president Ravinder Raina and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma is not addressed.
In a joint press release, heads of various unions and associations of these workers, under the banner of All Department Casual Labours United Front (Jammu Province), disclosed that on November 11, 2020 a delegation of United Front along with BJP J&K Unit president Ravinder Raina and MP Jammu-Poonch Constituency, Jugal Kishore Sharma met the Lt Governor , Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan Jammu after 48 days long strike.
The representatives of daily wagers briefed LG about the issues to the workers engaged for the last 15-20 years. The BJP leaders also projected the issue in detail. Sinha after listening assured that a committee will be framed within days and after the completion DDC elections the regularization process will start.
On the assurance of the LG the agitation was also suspended.
The United Front leaders appealed to the Lt Governor to honour his commitment and initiate process of regularization of the daily rated/ casual workers and provide relief to over 61,000 families in J&K UT.
They further warned that if their issues were not resolved by January 15, they will resume their indefinite strike/ agitation at Press Club of Jammu. They claimed that BJP leaders and the Administration was forcing them to adopt agitational path as they are feeling cheated again.
Prominent among those addressing conference included Akhil Sharma -PDD, Ravi Hans and Bhanu Partap from PHE, Rajan Sharma-Agri, Basant Singh -Floriculture and Parshotam-Estates Deptt.