Police break up march by Kashmir employees

Police Thursday used batons and water cannons to break up a protest march in Srinagar by government employees demanding retirement age enhancement and end to pay anomalies.

Over two dozen employees, including some union leaders, were arrested.

Dozens of agitating government staff had gathered in the afternoon at the Sher-e-Kashmir Municipal Park in the city to march towards the high-security Gupkar Road residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The employees were pressing for implementation of their demands which include enhancement in retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation of daily-wage workers and removal of pay anomalies.

The state government has been maintaining that given the huge numbers of educated, unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir, any enhancement in retirement age of government staff would result in a moratorium on fresh employment for at least two years.

The employees are, however, asserting that the state government has already conceded their demands through an agreement between the two, but the implementation of the deal has been delayed over the past three years.