| With my staff, I will conduct sanitation drive at Katra; DM Reasi | | Holy town turns into dumping yard | |
Ajay Sharma
Katra, Sep 24: Inefficiency of administration can be gauged from fact that instead of conceding the demands of Safaikaramcharis, observing indefinite strike since last many days, the District Magistrate, Reasi today said that he would himself conduct sanitation drive of holy town Katra, if strike will remain continue.
Moreover, only few days have been left for beginning of Navratra festival but due to ongoing strike of Safaikaramcharis which entered on 14th day, the holy town Katra has turned into a dumping yard.
More than three hundred Safaikaramcharis today staged dharna at Asia Chowk and disrupted vehicular traffic for around two hours. Meanwhile, DM Reasi also visited holy town and tried to pacify the angry employees of civic body.
The DM visited the dharna site and assured the protesters that he would take the issue with state government for early redressal of demands, but protesting employees refused to call off their strike.
"If the strike will remain continue, I will conduct sanitation drive in town with my staff.
Navratra festival is beginning from October 4, you should try to understand the situation. Sanitation system is laying defunct since September 9, the town has become dumping site", he said.
Earlier, demanding fulfillment of their long pending demands viz-a-viz regularization of 150 Safaikarmcharis, enhancement of salaries, large number of Safaikarmacharis gathered outside office of Executive Officer (EO) Katra and shouted slogans against director Urban and Local Bodies Jammu.
The Safaikaramchari led by president Kala and General Secretary Bahadur taken-out protest rally and sat on dharna at General Bus stand Katra. Addressing the gathering, union president Kala said, "More than 100 trucks load of garbage is laying on roads across town but administration is in no mood to concede our demands". The Governor NN Vohra, who is also chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Borad to come forward to address the grievances of Safaikaramcharis, he said. Criticizing NC led state government the employee leaders said that the government has been deliberately ignoring their demands. |
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