Srinagar, Aug 23 :
Demanding an inquiry into alleged financial and administrative irregularities in the department, the employees of Jak Shakti in Srinagar staged a protest on Monday seeking intervention of the Lt Governor for release of their pending salaries.
Raising slogans against Jal Shakti (PHE) chief engineer for failing to utilize the funds provided by the Centre, the Jal Shakti employees led by president of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) joint Employees Association Sajjad Parray said despite high court order salaries of over 600 daily labourers and others were not paid for the past two months.
They challenged the claim of chief engineer that 95 per cent schools and Anganwaris have been provided tap water facilities. Only two per cent have so far been provided tap water in the Kashmir valley, the employees said and threatened to go on complete strike on August 26 if their wages are not released and other demands are not met. ‘We demand an inquiry into financial and administrative irregularities besides conducting water audit to save the Jal shakti department’.
Talking to reporters after the protests at the office of Executive Engineer, Exchange road near here Sajjad said Chief Engineer
Jal Shakti employees
had transferred over 1300 daily wagers and contractual and other employees to local bodies without any justification. However, the court stayed the order and these employees are still working in the Jal Shakti.
He said over 600 employees were not paid the salaries for the two months for questioning Chief Engineer’s failure utilize the funds provided by the Centre under different schemes.
He said the Centre has provided Rs 1,000 crore at the rate of 9 per cent loan to Kashmir Jal Shakti to provide tap water to every household by March 2022. He said only 20 per cent of the funds have so far been expended.
How is it possible to utilize remaining 80 per cent funds in just seven months, he questioned and alleged it due to incompetence of the Chief Engineers and other officers funds could not be utilized.
