The Kashmir PHE Joint Employees Association has announced a peaceful protest on June 2 at Press Colony, Srinagar, against the non-payment of salaries to employees of the Mechanical Division Srinagar, which has been headless for over three months.
Addressing a press conference, Sajjad Ahmed Parry, Chairman of the Kashmir PHE Joint Employees Association and General Secretary of the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJEC), said that despite challenging conditions and a lack of facilities, PHE employees from the lowest ranks to the top engineers have continued to serve the public with dedication by ensuring the supply of clean drinking water. However, he expressed anguish over the government’s indifference toward their financial and professional concerns.
Parry highlighted that the post of Executive Engineer in the PHE Mechanical Division Srinagar has been vacant for the past three months, resulting in a severe administrative vacuum. “Due to this vacancy, around 650 employees have been deprived of their salaries for the last three months. Despite repeated pleas to either fill the post or assign additional charge to another officer, the administration has shown no concern,” he said.
He as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust lamented that this inaction has forced hundreds of families into distress. “Employees suffering from chronic illnesses are unable to afford treatment, children are being forced to leave schools due to unpaid fees, and households are struggling for basic sustenance,” Parry said. “As Eid al-Adha approaches, our families are unable to participate in the joys of the festival or fulfil religious obligations due to financial constraints,” he added, pointing out the government’s failure to show even symbolic sensitivity to the occasion.
“Is this the governance we voted for?” he asked, calling out the administration’s silence on the matter. “It is deeply painful that despite having a Muslim Chief Minister who knows the importance of Eid al-Adha, no effort has been made to resolve this issue.”
The association has demanded that the vacant Executive Engineer post be filled immediately or that interim charge be given to ensure salary disbursement before Eid. The June 2 protest, they said, will be a peaceful appeal for justice.
Several senior members of the association, including Abdul Ghani Dar, Wahid Ahmed Shora, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Altaf Ahmed Butt, Riaz Ahmed Khan, Rauf Ahmed Malik, and Saif Ahmed Butt, were also present at the press conference. [KNT]
