PDD daily wagers continue protest, hunger strike; demand regularization
Jammu, 11 July (H.S.): The daily wagers of the Power Development Department (PDD) continued their protest and hunger strike, intensifying pressure on the authorities to act on their long-pending demands. Despite sustained agitation, the Government h
PDD daily wagers continue protest, hunger strike; demand regularization


Jammu, 11 July (H.S.): The daily wagers of the Power Development Department (PDD) continued their protest and hunger strike, intensifying pressure on the authorities to act on their long-pending demands. Despite sustained agitation, the Government has so far failed to respond, further fueling resentment among the protesting workers.

Spearheaded by Akhil Sharma under the banner of the All J&K PDD, PDL, TDL and Other Workers Union, the protest commenced on June 26 outside the office of J&K Power Development Corporation Limited (JKPDCL) at Bahu Plaza. The core demand of the agitating workers is the immediate financial concurrence for the regularization of 557 daily-rated employees whose cases have already been cleared by the Board of Directors (BoD) of Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL).

In the absence of any concrete assurance from the administration, the protestors escalated their agitation into a hunger strike on July 7. Workers from across various districts of the Jammu province are participating in the protest, raising slogans against JPDCL management and holding placards and banners denouncing the authorities’ “apathetic attitude” towards their genuine issues.

Union leaders came down heavily on the management for its failure to obtain the long-awaited financial concurrence, pointing out that the policy for regularization was drafted more than three years ago. The workers also decried the prolonged non-payment of wages, highlighting the severe economic distress it has caused to hundreds of families dependent on these jobs. Many of them have not received their dues for years, pushing them into financial instability.

The agitating daily wagers, who have halted all work in protest, warned that any disruption in the power supply across the region would be the responsibility of the JPDCL management. They urged the Government for urgent intervention to resolve their grievances.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar


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