Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 7: Police today foiled a Secretariat Gherao march of hundreds of casual laborers and daily wagers.
Hundreds of casual laborers and daily wagers today assembled at Pratap Park to march towards Secretariat to press for their demand of regularization. The protestors had come from across Kashmir valley.
As soon as they tried to come out of Partap Park on Maulana Azad Road, police fired tear smoke to disperse them.
The entire Lal Chowk area was filled with tear smoke and people were running away from City Centre due to its intensity. Scores of protestors were detained at Kothibagh Police Station, however, they were later released. Around a dozen protestors received minor injuries in police action.
The protestors are working as casual laborers and daily wagers in various Government departments like Public Health Engineering, Power Development Department, Health Department and Tourism Department.
They were carrying placards and were chanting slogans like “Mufti Teri Sarkar
Main Bachay Bokay Sotay Hain” (Mufti in your Government children of laborers are sleeping hungry).
Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Casual Daily Wagers Forum (JKCDF),
Sajad Ahmad Parray while talking to media persons said that regularization of services of daily wagers and casual labourers was their inalienable right.
“They (labourers) have toiled hard for 10-15 years of services in various departments and they have the right to be regularized”, he added.
“Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers are regularized after 5 years of service and same rule should be applied to daily wagers working in various Government departments”, the JKCDF chairman said.
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