Srinagar: Casual labourers of Tourism department Monday said that they were without wages since 2014.
A delegation of aggrieved labourers said their wages were not even released on Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.
“We are facing immense hardships as we have no other source of income to feed our families,” they said.
They added that they are regularly attending office and performing their duties honestly and sincerely.
“One can imagine our plight as our wages for past thirteen months have been released. We are unable to pay the school fee of our wards,” they said.
A casual labourer, who was part of delegation, said his parents need some life saving drugs periodically. “I had been getting this medicine on credit from a chemist.
However, he has now stopped to provide me this medicine now as I have failed to pay his bills due to non-release of my wages,” he rued.
Another casual labour said that his ward was forced to quit school after he failed to deposit his tuition fee.
“We have been apprising the higher-ups about our grievance and demands. However, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” they said.
They appealed Governor Satya Paul Malik and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir who also holds the tourism portfolio, and the Secretary Tourism to personally intervene in the matter.
