Srinagar: Police on Monday foiled the march to Civil Secretariat in Srinagar called by Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) even as government employees of Civil Secretariat assembled in the Secretariat premises and observed complete strike to press for their demands.
Hundreds of employees led by JCC leaders Abdul Qayoom Wani, Muntazir Mohi-u-Din and Gafoor Dar tried to march from Khalasa School towards Secretariat, however police personnel deployed in strength intercepted the employees at Exhibition Crossing. But the employees managed to regroup and again set out for Secretariat, but police swung into action and detained key JCC leaders and scores of other employees.
Routine work was affected in government offices across the state as the employees continued their strike for second consecutive day. Civil Secretariat employees also supported the call and observed a complete strike. All the government offices especially the educational institutions remained closed on Monday.
There was strike in government offices and work was paralysed but government has turned a deaf ear to our demands. If the government does not implement the agreement, we will intensify our agitation,” President JCC Abdul Qayoom Wani said adding that the leaders from Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh including Civil Secretariat Coordination Committee would hold a meeting on 15th of this month to chalk out the future programme.
The employees, under the aegis of Joint Consultative Committee, are demanding a policy on regularisation of daily-wagers besides enhancement of the retirement age from 58 to 60 years.
State government has backtracked from its promise made with the employees, he said, adding, state government failed to implement the signed agreement according to which all the demands were to be conceded.
Wani lambasted the government for alleged highhandedness. Despite curbs by the government, more than one thousand employees tried to participate in todays programme, however, police used force against them, he said.
Police used water cannons in which one employee Nazir Ahmed from Bandipora got seriously injured who was later shifted to SKIMS.
The indifferent approach of the government is forcing us to announce tough program. We are under pressure from employees to call for an indefinite strike, but we take into consideration the problems which will accrue as a result of that. Government is pushing us to the wall, said Wani.
JCC said the future course of action would be announced on 15th of this month.
JCC leaders had reached an agreement with the state government on September 15, 2011, following a strike by the employees in favour of their demand of the payment of sixth pay commission arrears, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies, regularisation of the services of daily wagers, ad hoc, consolidated workers engaged in various departments.
The JCC leaders including Abdul Qayoom, Muntazir Mohidin, Mohammad Afzal, Farooq Trali, Manzoor Pampori, Mushtaq Sopori and others were released soon after their detention in Shaheed Gunj Police Station.
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