The PHE workers under the banner of PHE Employees United Front held strong protest demonstration in the office of Chief Engineer, at BC Road on the 13th consecutive day here. The PHE/Jal Shakti workers, pulling out their shirts and under shirts, were shouting slogans against the UT Administration and BJP Government at the Centre. They alleged that BJP has failed to resolve the pending issues of the workers despite long protests. The protesting workers were demanding their regularisation, release of pending wages, implement Minimum Wages Act in J&K on Central pattern and revoke 12 vouchers rider. After holding strong protest demonstration, they sat on dharna in the BC Road PHE office complex. On Tuesday, the Commissioner/ Secretary PHE, M Raju invited the members of the PHE United Front for talks. After two hours talks, the negotiations failed. The Front leaders claimed that Government has agreed only to release wages of 17 months while 65 months wages of the workers are pending. On regularisation issue also, no commitment was made by the Commissioner. Therefore, the dialogue ended in a dead lock. They pointed out that Government is spending huge money on the rehabilitation of the militants and their families but the workers who are performing their duties with dedication on meagre money are being denied their wages. They claimed that the agitation would be continued till their demands are addressed by the Government. Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included – Bhanu Partap, Ravi Hans, Rajinder Singh, Mohan Lal, Jyoti Parkash, Hoshiar Singh, Navdeep Singh, Vishav Dubey and others.
