Srinagar, Feb 1: Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement Tuesday demanded rollback of the order issued by Director Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) Srinagar wherein around 135 farm labourers working as daily wagers for more than 12 years have been shown the door and disengaged.
The agitated workers held a protest along with Chairman RTI Movement Raja Muzaffar Bhat outside the main campus of CITH at Kralpora Rangreth.
“Around 165 persons are working on contract basis in the CITH farm at Kralpora Rangreth for the last 10 to 20 years. Most of them work as farm labourers and some as security guards. More than a dozen are experts in horticulture activities who have set up ultra high density apple, pear, peach, walnut and almond plantations in the area. The state land belonging to villages of Kralpora and Wathoora was provided by J&K Govt in 1994 to Ministry of Agriculture Govt of India (ICAR) and today the locals from these villages and other areas who work on mere Rs 300 to 400 per day are being thrown out by the CITH. This is complete injustice,” Bhat said.