Police detain over 20 J-K govt employees

Over two dozen employees of local and urban bodies in Kashmir Valley were detained today as they tried to take out a protest rally here, demanding regularisation of daily wagers and implementation of service rules.
Hundreds of employees, under the banner of 'Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Employees United Forum', led by their president Manzoor Ahmad Pampori, staged a protest at Press Enclave here to press for their demands, official sources said.
The agitating employees were demanding regularisation of daily wagers, release of pending salaries, release of sixth pay commission arrears, implementation of service rules, effective and time-bound transfer policy and fixing seniority in every cadre, the sources said.

The employees were asked by the police to disperse, but as they continued to protest, police swung into action and took around 20 employees into preventive custody.
Pampori, while condemning the police action, said the state government has "failed" to fulfil the genuine demands of employees, which has "forced" them to agitate.
"The government must address our genuine demands immediately, otherwise we will intensify the agitation," he said.