Jammu: A group of government employees on Wednesday staged a protest here to ask for reinstatement of over 900 workers and regularisation of thousands of daily wagers serving in various departments for the past two decades, among other demands.
The protesters affiliated with J&K Government Employees Joint Action Committee assembled outside press club and also demanded release of house rent allowance (HRA) of the employees and a review of the government decision to identify employees who are “ineffective in work or not fit to continue” after completion of 22 years of service or have attained 48 years of age.
“We have assembled here to invite the attention of the central and J&K governments towards the long pending demands of the employees and daily wagers. We have over one lakh daily wagers who are serving in various departments for the last three decades but are living a miserable life due to the failure of the government to come out with a regularisation policy for them,” JKGEJAC president Babu Hussain Malik told reporters.
He said they protest the disengagement of over 900 helpers to supervisors in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the social welfare department last month and want the government to reinstate them besides releasing their three months pending salaries.
On September 11, the J&K administration ordered immediate disengagement of 918 helpers to supervisors who have been engaged beyond the competence of various field functionaries of ICDS.
Demanding release of HRA in favour of the employees, which is due as per 7th pay commission recommendations, he said the centre has already released the hiked HRA to its employees with effect from July along with enhanced Dearness Allowance.
Malik, who was leading the protest, said the government decision to retire some employees after completion of 22 years of service or have attained 48 years of age needs a review.
“In other parts of the country, the bar is 33 years of service and 55 years of age. Why a different yard sticks for the employees in J&K?” he asked and said they are not against action against corrupt employees but there are already government agencies for that.
