J-K: Govt employees hold protests, scores detained

Scores of government employees were detained today as they tried to march to the Chief Minister's residence here, to press for their demands, including enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years.
On the call of Employees Joint Consultative Committee (EJCC), government employees held demonstrations in different parts of the state for immediate implementation of the agreement signed between the state and the organisation on July 8, 2012.
A large number of government employees assembled at Sher-e-Kashmir Park near Polo View and tried to march towards the Chief Minister's residence at Sonawar, officials said.
Police used water canons and batons to disperse the protesters, they said, adding over 200 employees including some of their top leaders were detained and lodged at Kothi Bagh police station.

Earlier, another group of employees tried to take out a march from the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department headquarters at Shaheed Gunj in the city. Over 100 employees were detained by police here, officials said.
EJCC, a conglomerate of various government employees' bodies and associations, represents over 4.5 lakh employees.

The EJCC has also called for a pen-down strike tomorrow in support of their demands, which include enhancement on retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation of daily rated workers, casual labourers and need based workers engaged after 1994, removal of pay anomaly of clerical cadre and budgetary support for public sector.

"The street agitation and strike was also to protest the new employment policy, lacklustre attitude of the government and failure of the government to keep its promises," spokesman of EJCC Farooq Trali said.
Meanwhile, addressing the protesting employees outside the office of Divisional Commissioner at Jammu, EJCC leader Mohammad Gafoor Dar condemned the delay in implementing the agreement.
"We stress upon the state government not to delay the implementation of agreement which will ultimately compelled EJCC to launch agitation to get the demands fulfilled," he said.
The EJCC has warned that if the government fails to announce the implementation of the agreement before August 23, 2013, the employees would be compelled to intensify the agitation.