Jammu, Apr 14: Fate of hundreds of daily wagers working with Power Development Department (PDD) continues to hang in balance, as government has failed to keep up its promise of taking a formal decision on their demands.
 The daily wagers had called off their 57-day long `pen down, tool down’ strike on February 8, after a high level delegation assured them that their demands, including their regularization would be met by March 31, 2012.
 “Till date neither salary has been released in our favour nor has government issued regularization orders”, said one of the leaders of the daily wager union preferring not to be named adding that the representatives of All J&K PDD Daily Wagers Union have been visiting the Civil Secretariat frequently to enquire about the status of their files but they have only been receiving assurances from the power corridors.
 With proposed biannual closing of Civil Secretariat on April 27 in Jammu, the daily wagers fear that their case may linger on further. It would be difficult for them to visit Srinagar for enquiring status of their files.
 Pertinently, on February 8, 2010, Minister for State (MOS) for Power Shabir Ahmed Khan in presence of Political Advisor to Chief Minister, had assured the protesting PDD daily wagers that the government would release their pending wages by February 28.
 “Rs 6.5 crore will be released for the purpose. Similarly, all the genuine demands of the daily wagers, including the regularization of their services will be taken care of by March 31”, the deputation had assured.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST