Srinagar: Temporary and Permanent Daily Labourers(TDL and PDL) of Power Development Department (PDD) besides anganwadi workers and safai karancharies on Monday hit streets in the Kashmir valley, including summer capital, Srinagar where police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse them.
Hundreds of TDL and PDL, mostly from Power Development Department (PDD) from different parts of the valley assembled at PDD head office near here raising slogans in support of their demands.
Alleging that the files of those who had completed their more than seven years service in the department are pending in the civil secretariat for the past three years. Their cases for regularization in the department is overdue but files are not being moved in the secretariat.
We demand release of salaries of those labourers who have not been paid for several months, they said, adding those who have lost their lives or became handicapped during duty are yet to get any salary or other benefits.
However, when the TDL and PDL workers were trying to move towards civil secretariat, police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse them.
Safai Karamcharies, including women, of health department also staged a protest in Bemina area of the city demanding implementation of minimum wages act.
We are working as consolidated sweepers and other workers in the health department since 1994. But, they alleged their services are not being regularized despite working round the clock when COVID-19 pandemic was at peak in the Jammu and Kashmir. They also demanded release of their salaries.
Anganwadi workers, including women, also hit the streets in Anantnag demanding release of pending salaries. Our children were not allowed to sit in educational institutions and we are facing starvation because of no wages for several months, they said and demanded implementation of minimum wages act.
