Srinagar/Jammu, Jan 11: Scores of daily wage workers of Power Development Department today staged a demonstration in Lal Chowk, demanding regularization of their services.
 The protesters later marched from Lal Chowk to Chief Minister’s private office to apprise the officials about their demands.
 Ghulam Ahmad a protester told Greater Kashmir that 5412 posts were vacant in the department in Kashmir. He said, “Only 1460 daily wagers are engaged with the departments,” adding the Department had not regularized their services for last 14 years.
 They said they had stayed away from duties for past one month and the condition of the power supply was anybody’s guess. Government should understand the gravity of the situation; otherwise whole Kashmir division would be gripped into dark due to the strike, they added.

Firdous Tak adds from Jammu:
Most areas of Jammu, including hospitals, educational institutions and civil secretariat remained without any power supply throughout the day after daily wagers went on a one-day strike.
 The strike call was given by All Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department Daily Wagers Workers Union in support of their demand for release of their salaries and regularization of all daily wagers working in the department.
 The daily wagers threatened the regular employees of dire consequences in case the power supply was restored.
 The workers assembled at Sub Transmitting Division (STD-I), behind Civil Secretariat and held a massive demonstration. The protestors tried to move toward the Civil Secretariat but the attempt was foiled by police and paramilitary personnel.
 At least 75 protestors were taken under preventive custody after they tried to march towards the secretariat.
 Irked with the police action, the daily wagers disrupted the regular power supply from STD-I whereby affecting the power supply of the entire Jammu city including GMC Hospital, Civil Secretariat, major markets of the city and other domestic lines.
 The power supply was restored only after the intervention of Development Commissioner Power, who promised to release of the pending wages by tomorrow.
 PDD Daily Wagers Union President,Tarun Kumar said the employees lifted Dharna only after receiving assurances from DC (Power). “We have been assured that the pending wages would be released tomorrow and the demand of regularization of the daily wagers will also be looked into”, he said.
 “But in case the department failed to stand by it’s promise, the Union will also include the regular employees and compel the government to take final decision,”  he added.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST