Jammu, Oct 23: Hundreds of Daily Rated Workers (DRWs) of the Jal Shakti (Public Health Engineering) Department staged a massive protest in Jammu on Thursday, demanding that the Government release the report of the committee constituted under former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the regularisation of their services. The protest, organised under the banner of the PHE Employees United Front, Jammu, saw workers from various parts of the region assemble outside the office of the Chief Engineer, PHE Department, at BC Road.
The protesting employees urged the Chief Minister to table the committee report in the ongoing Legislative Assembly session, stressing that the issue has remained unresolved for more than two decades. Carrying placards and raising slogans of “We want justice,” the DRWs staged a sit-in demonstration at the PHE Complex on the first day of the autumn session, expressing frustration over the delay in regularising their employment despite repeated assurances from successive governments.
Addressing the gathering, PHE Employees United Front leader Ravi Hans said the workers have been protesting for more than 1,220 days without any meaningful outcome. “The former Chief Minister had announced the formation of a committee and assured that the report would be submitted within six months. Seven months have passed, and we still do not know the fate of that report. We want to remind the government of its promise and demand that the report be made public and tabled in the Assembly,” he said.
Hans further warned that if the government fails to meet their demands, the employees will intensify their agitation. “If the report is not tabled during the current session, we will hold a larger and more aggressive protest on October 27,” he declared.
The protesting workers reiterated their demand for regularisation and the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, arguing that they have been exploited for years despite their continuous service. “Thousands of workers have dedicated decades of their lives to the department, yet they continue to be treated as temporary labourers. This is an injustice that must end,” one of the protesters said.
The committee, which was headed by the Chief Secretary, was tasked with examining humanitarian, legal, and financial aspects related to the regularisation of around 67,000 casual, seasonal, and daily-rated workers across Jammu and Kashmir. It was also mandated to propose a concrete roadmap for resolving their long-pending grievances. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had assured that the report would be submitted for consideration in the next budget session, but the delay has triggered widespread anger among the workers.