- Daily wagers demand regularisation and pending wages accuse successive governments of exploitation
Jammu, November 10 : The police today thwarted a massive protest march organized by hundreds of daily wage workers of the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department who were attempting to march towards the Civil Secretariat in Jammu to press for the regularisation of their services and the release of their long-pending wages.
The protestors, mobilised under the banner of the PHE Employees United Front, assembled at the PHE Complex on BC Road around 11 a.m. before beginning their march towards the Secretariat. Raising slogans of “We want justice” and “Regularise our services,” the workers demanded immediate government intervention to address their long-standing grievances.
As the march reached near the MLA Hostel, a heavy contingent of police and CRPF personnel had already erected barricades and barbed wire to prevent the protesters from advancing further. When stopped, the workers sat on a dharna, insisting on a direct dialogue with the Chief Minister and the concerned ministers. The standoff caused heavy traffic disruption in the surrounding areas, with vehicle movement halted for several hours across the old city routes.
The workers also claimed to have suspended water supply to several VIP localities in Jammu, including the residences of the Chief Minister and the PHE Minister on Wazarat Road, as a mark of protest. Later, they moved towards Dogra Chowk and then to Samadhian PHE station, where they continued their demonstration till evening.
Ravi Hans, leader of the PHE Employees United Front, accused successive governments of exploiting daily wagers. “We have been protesting for years, yet our demands remain ignored. We want a clear policy on regularisation, the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, and immediate release of our pending dues,” he said.
Hans recalled that during the last Assembly session, then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had announced the formation of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to examine the regularisation issue. The committee was expected to submit its report by September 19, but workers said no progress had been communicated. According to union estimates, there are around 67,000 daily wagers working across various government departments in Jammu and Kashmir, many of whom have served for decades without job security or fair compensation.