Srinagar, 17-Mar; Sweepers and helpers of Health Department protested here today, demanding implementation of the minimum wages and regularization of their services.Scores of sweepers and helpers under the banner of All Consolidate Part-time and Helper Safai-karamchari working in Health Dept assembled in the Press Enclave here and raised slogans in favour of their demands. The protestors alleged that the department is putting the poor sweepers through problems by delaying the implementation of the Minimum Wage Act.“We want the Minimum Wage Act to be implemented for us, and we want our salary to be released in accordance with the law. The department adopted the Act in 2018, but we have not been included in it,” Sajad Parray, President J&K Casual and Daily Wagers Forum, said.The protestors said that the Director of Health Services Kashmir had earlier presented a proposal to the government for the implementation of a minimum wage act for part-time sweepers, but that the proposal had been ignored by higher authorities. “We want the government to consider the proposal as we are struggling to run our homes on meagre salaries,” a protestor said.“Health department is incomplete without us, we ensure the cleanness and hygiene of the hospitals where thousands of people visit each day and we are getting remuneration of Rs 100-1000 from last 25 years”, said one of the protesters.The protestors said that their regularisation has been pending for the last three decades, but they are yet to be considered for regularization despite several appeals to the authorities.“We have sacrificed a lot even during we have been performing our duties day and night with full dedication and ensured the cleanness of the hospitals. Most of us even performed night duties but unfortunately nobody is paying attention towards us”, they added.The protestors urged LG Manoj Sinha and Finance Department officials to examine their proposal as soon as possible and apply the minimum wage statute for them, as well as regularise their services.(CNS
