Demanding hike in their monthly honorarium, village guards Tuesday staged a protest at Press Colony in Srinagar and appealed the Lieutenant Governor to increase their wages.
Scores of village guards under the banner of All Jammu and Kashmir Village Guards (Chowkidars) Association assembled at Mushtaq Enclave, demanding an increase in their monthly honorarium from Rs 1500 to Rs 15,000.
President of Village Guard Association Union, Sheikh Bashir Ahmad said: “The chowkidars are full-time public servants but the government is paying us a meager salary of Rs 1500 per month. We have to assist the government officials and take care of more than one village.”
Another village guard said that the government had also not provided them with proper uniform for summer and winters.
“We have been given a 1-meter cloth for our uniforms and the sewing cost is to be borne by us,” he said.
The chowkidars said that due to the introduction of new schemes and growing population their workload had increased while the salary remained inadequate.
“We appeal the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to look into the matter and address our demands promptly,” they said.