Police today scuttled an attempt by a group of Public Health Engineering (PHE) employees to stage a protest rally here in support of their demand for regularisation of their services.
Over 200 PHE casual labourers assembled at Sher-e-Kashmir Park outside the office of ruling PDP in the heart of the city and started marching towards Civil Secretariat, officials said.
As the protesting employees, who have completed nine years of service of the department, reached near Congress headquarters at Maulana Azad road, police swung into action and asked them to disperse, they said.
However, the employees refused to disperse and staged a sit-in on the main road which blocked traffic, they said, adding police resorted to baton charge and dispersed them.
Several employees were taken into preventive custody and lodged at Kothibagh Police station, the officials said.
