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| Unemployed youth, employees hold protest; demand wages for suspension period | | Suspension of work at 850 MW HEP | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Kishtwar, Aug 8 : The unemployed youth along with employees working with GVK and L&T companies entrusted with the job of construction of 850 MW Rattle Hydro Power Project in Kishtwar District today held 6 hour protest outside DC Office Kishtwar. They were seeking jobs to locals and wages to employees working in the project before both the companies closed their offices allegedly after BJYM unit of Kishtwar forced both the companies to stop the work in retaliation. As per reports, people including unemployed youths, project employees and project affected families under the leadership of PDP Youth President, Mohammad Umar Malik along with several heads of various unions including President Rattle Workers Union Parvaiz Najjar, President Project Affected Families Attar Singh and President of CHPPWU Javed Sheikh today assembled outside DC office Kishtwar and raised slogans in support of their demands including release of wages for the period till the project work remain suspended, beside immediate start of work in project and jobs for local unemployed youth.
While talking to "Early Times", Mohammad Umar Malik who was chosen as Chairman of an amalgam of various unions said that the aim and object of today's protest is to put pressure on the administration for initiating action against the GVK and L&T for not starting work at project site, beside denying wages to the employees during work suspension period.
He said that as per honorable Supreme Court Order, all the companies are bound to pay the wages to its employees during the period when the work was suspended due to one or other reason. He said that it has been more than one month since the Principal Company GVK and Sublet contractor L&T suspended the project for no fault of employees working in the project. He said that Assistant Labor Commissioner must initiate action against both the companies under labor law for denying wages to the labourers working in the project. He said that they are ready to carry forward the agitations in case the companies fail to release the wages in favour of employees engaged by the two companies before they suspended the project work. Later a deputation of agitating people also held a meeting with DC Mohammad Javed Khan who assured action under law against both the companies. The DC also denied the reports that both GVK and L&T companies are closing their offices and added that District administration has received no such communication either from the companies or from the state government. He said that administration will take all legal courses to safe guard the interest of the local people including jobs for local unemployed youths of Kishtwar District.
He also directed Dy. SP HQ Nazir Ahmed Sheikh and SHO Sameer Jeelani to keep an eye on shifting of any machinery from project site in case the reports of withdrawing of both the companies from project workers are proved to be true. He also directed police to allow the movement of transportation of machinery from project site only after receiving proper communication from state government. He also issued directions to ALC Kishtwar to look into the legal course of action against both the companies for safe guarding the interest of the locals by tomorrow. Meanwhile BJYM District President, Ashish Sharma said that his party withstand on their previous demand demanding jobs for locals in this project and added that party will not compromise as far as securing of jobs for locals including unemployed engineers. He said that BJYM is not going to tolerate arrogance of GVK & L&T who are constantly denying jobs to locals of Kishtwar District in the project. However Ashish Sharma extended its support to project employees demanding wages for the period during which the construction work in project remains suspended. He said that BJYM has no objection in disallowing the project management to carry on with its construction work in case the demand of adjustment of locals in the project could be agreed in principal. |
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