Police foils Secretariat ‘gherao’ of SHG engineers, dozens detained

Srinagar: Police on Monday foiled the Self Help Group Engineers Association’s (SHGEA) Secretariat ‘gherao’, and detained dozens of its members after they tried to march to the Civil Secretariat. Engineers affiliated with SHG were protesting against the government’s recent decision to abolish the scheme.
Criticizing the government for rendering more than six thousands engineer’s across Jammu and Kashmir jobless, protesters demanded that the decision which they claimed was arbitrary in nature be revoked immediately.
The slogan shouting engineers, holding placards in their hands which read “revoke black laws, GAD order not acceptable” assembled near Civil Secretariat, and staged demonstrations to protest governments’ recent decision to abolish SHG scheme.
SHG engineers later marched towards Secretariat for its ‘gherao’; however police thwarted their attempt and detained dozens including SHGEA President, Syed Parvez Hussain at Batamaloo Police Station.
Those who succeeded to evade the arrest, later again assembled outside the Civil Secretariat to press for the release of their colleagues.
Talking to reporters, SHGEA President, Syed Parvez Hussain said the government’s decision to abolish the SHG scheme after almost 20 years has rendered 6000 engineers jobless in Jammu and Kashmir. He demanded that the GAD order abolishing the SHG scheme be revoked at earliest.
“Most of us have crossed the upper age limit and we cannot apply for government jobs, this scheme was introduced in 2003 by the then government under which more than 6000 unemployed engineers were working. Government’s decision has hit us hard,” he said before being detained.
He also said the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary is duty bound to explain the reasons for rescinding a 17 years old scheme without having approval from the employment department