SRINAGAR, June 5: Police today detained scores of volunteers of National Youth Corps (NYC) and contractors when they separately attempted to take out processions in support of their demands. Police used lathicharge and detained scores of NYC volunteers. Cops lodged them at nearby police station Kothibagh who were protesting against the government’s failure to regularize their jobs. Dozens of protesters including large number of women this morning gathered at Press Enclave and started a 72 hour long hunger strike against the government for adopting alleged dual policy towards the youth. When the NYC youths were sitting on a hunger strike at Press Enclave when a large contingent of police intervened and asked the youths to end their hunger strike as they have received clear orders from the civil and police administration not to allow any protest or hunger strike. The NYC youths continued their sit in hunger strike and told the police that they are holding the hunger strike in peaceful manner and they will not create any law and order problem. But the large contingent of police swung into action, resorted to lathi-charge and arrested dozens of youths. The NYC (both male and female) put up stiff resistance and intensified their sloganeering against state government and against chief minister Omar Abdullah. The youths tried to block the way of those police vehicles, which were taking the NYC youths to nearby Kothibagh police station. The agitated youths chased their vehicle and reached Residency Road. The traffic movement at the Residency Road also got affected for at least half an hour during the protests and police action. However, the cops managed to control the situation and arrested scores of NYC youths. The protesters alleged that the government during 2010 summer unrest had engaged eight thousand yout. “We were provided jobs during the peak days of unrest, now when the situation is stable in Valley the government has decided to wind up the scheme,” Mudasir Hassan, President All J&K National Youth Corps Volunteers Association, said. He threatened to continue with the protests if their demand for continuation of their services was not met. In another incident, Jammu and Kashmir Central Contractor’s Coordination Committee (JKCCCC), an amalgam of several contractors’ unions, made an unsuccessful attempt to march towards Civil Secretariat in protest against the withholding of pending contract payments, which they claim amount to Rs 700 crores. When the contractors assembled at Press Enclaves and tried to march towards civil secretariat, the police blocked their way and arrested scores of them. General Secretary, JKCCCC, Farooq Ahmad Dar told Kashmir Times that, “We gave the state government enough time to fulfill our demands, but they seem insensitive towards the demands. We have completed developmental works on time despite weather constraints here. But we fail to understand why they do not’ pay the pending bills which have amounted to 700 crore.” He warned the government of serious consequences if the payment was not released at the earliest. Criticising the state government for implementation of e-billing and e-tendering, Dar said the contractors in the state have suffered a lot due to the recent electronic system. “We are facing many hardships to get our payments through e- billing. We are not able to cash our cheques on time for which those get lapsed. He also blamed the state government for not achieving developmental targets in the Kashmir valley due to the weather conditions. “The developmental projects could not be achieved and the funds get diverted to Jammu which has no problem of weather conditions,” he said.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 05:25:17 +0000
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