PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
After rejecting the State government’s decision to constitute a cabinet sub-committee, workers employed under the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) said they will escalate their protest. They said this while continuing their demonstration on Thursday. Workers from UPNL have been prottesting on the road adjoining Parade Ground since Monday and will continue till their are met
The officiating president of the UPNL Federation of Employees, Mahesh Bhatt, stated that the protest is ongoing since Monday. He said that despite the cabinet’s decision to form a sub-committee to address their regularisation issues, the workers are dissatisfied and have rejected this initiative. Bhatt declared that the protests will continue until the authorities take concrete action regarding their demands. He further warned that if the authorities attempt to forcefully relocate the protests to Ekta Vihar instead of Parade Ground, they would intensify their agitation by conducting a gherao of the chief minister’s residence and organising a rally.
Bhatt emphasised that several officials also visited the protest site on Thursday. In addition to the demonstrations, many employees under UPNL have been on hunger strike, with periods of 24 hours, to press for the fulfillment of their demands.
It will be recalled that UPNL employees rejected the formation of the committee by the State government. Bhatt previously claimed, this is not the first time such a committee has been established for their concerns. Similar sub-committees have been created three or four times in the past, only to be dismissed over time. Given this history, the workers are urging the authorities to take direct action on their demands.
