23/06/2025
PHE Daily Wagers Hold Peaceful Protest in Doda, Demand Regularisation and Fair Wages
Doda, June 23: Daily-wage workers of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department staged a peaceful protest in Doda on Monday, demanding the regularisation of their services and the immediate release of pending wages. The protesters expressed deep anger over the government’s continued delay in addressing their long-standing issues.
Several workers said they have been serving the department for over 10 to 15 years without job security, benefits, or timely salary payments. They rejected the government’s proposed monthly wage of ₹9,000, calling it grossly inadequate amid the rising cost of living.
“We have served with dedication for years. We deserve respect and fair compensation. ₹9,000 is simply not enough to run a household today,” said one of the protesting workers.
The workers reminded the government of earlier promises to resolve their issues, including the release of pending salaries and implementation of the relevant SRO for regularisation. PHE Minister Javed Rana had sought two months to act on their demands, but that period has now passed with no visible action, they alleged.
“We were promised a resolution within two months. That time is over, and still, nothing has been done,” said another protester.
The workers have now announced plans to intensify their agitation with a massive district-wide demonstration if their demands continue to be ignored.
“Our next protest will be even bigger. We have waited long enough. If the government continues to delay, we will be forced to escalate our movement,” the workers said.
They urged the administration to stop ignoring their plight and take immediate steps toward regularisation, timely wage disbursement, and fair treatment for PHE daily wagers across Jammu and Kashmir.
