NHM employees asked to end strike
Face police action in Srinagar during protest march
Srinagar: While the NHM employees were lathi charged in Srinagar, the Mission Director, NHM Bhupender Kumar Tuesday held deliberations with the striking employees who are now on hunger strike for third day now.
Kumar assured the employees that their demands will be put forth to the government through a proper channel, and that the he needs time to resolve their long term demands.
“I had come to make an appeal to the striking employees that they should end the strike and sit with me in order to work out something in order to resolve their issues,” Kumar said.
He said that there are demands that are long term and will take time, while as there are demands that are short-term in nature. We are on to resolve their short-terms demands, and those will be taken care of,” he added.
When asked how much time it will take to resolve the issues of the striking employees, he said “there is a need to have patience, and only patience can lead to results,” he said.
“I am on it to resolve their short-term demands, while I am also working out to resolve their long-term demands, I am on it,” he added.
While appealing the employees to end their hunger strike, Kumar said that he appealed them not to go for such extreme measures.
“I told them not to resort to hunger strike, rather sit with me and me and try to sort out the issues,” he said.
Pertinently, the chief spokesperson of All J&K NHM Employees’ Association Abdul Rouf told ‘Kashmir Vision’ that nothing has been decided yet, as they are continuing with their hunger strike.
“Yes, the mission director met us, but nothing was assured to us. We are continuing with our strike unless and until our demands are not met,” he said, adding that they are hopeful that something will come out on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in Srinagar, Police resorted to lathicharge after protesting NHM employees took out a protest march towards the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.
Police swung into action near Kothibagh police station and foiled the protest march by erecting barricades and resorting to lathicharge.
The employees who have been on a strike since for a month now are demanding regularization in a phased manner, equal pay for equal work and other social security benefits.
Irfan Tramboo
