Jammu: A daily wage worker employed with the Forest department in Jammu and Kashmir raised slogans outside the assembly demanding wages.
Bilal Ahmed Dar, a casual worker with the Wildlife department of J&K Forest ministry, also carried posters with the slogan “Roti Doo Ya Phansi Doo” (Give us livelihood or hang us) outside the assembly.
“For the past 15 years, I have been working as a daily wager in the Wildlife department. Casual workers and daily wage earners like me are not receiving our monthly wages. I protested here last month as well. We are in great distress. We need to support our families,” Dar told reporters here.
He said he met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah last month in Ganderbal but nothing happened.
“Nothing has been done to release our wages. Do they want us to resort to committing suicide and ending our lives? We request the Chief Minister’s intervention to ensure our wages are paid,” he said.
There are 754 such daily wage workers employed with the Wildlife Department, he said. “They continue to use our services but are not paying us wages. This is a grave injustice. We are demanding regularization and fair wages as casual workers,” he said.
Dar was removed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who are responsible for securing the premises.
