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6 workers detained after lathi-charge in Reasi

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 11/20/2018 1:06:57 PM

REASI, Nov 19: At least half a dozen construction workers were injured when the police resorted to a lathi-charge at Dugga, a railways line and tunnel construction site near Arnas in Reasi district yesterday.
Reports reaching here said that the injured were discharged after first aid from the local hospital. The police are reported to have registered a case against them and issued warrants against 35 other workers while detained six others. The nature of the cases registered against them could not be ascertained.
Reports said that the police resorted to lathi-charge on them when a police team had gone to the area to assist the revenue authorities for acquisition of land in the village, which had been vacated by the villagers. Over 250 workers were staging dharna on the site for the last three days in support of their demand for tunnel and risk allowance, provided under the labour regulations from the private contractor company VCCL.
Irked by the demands of the workers, the police instead of resolving the issue resorted to lathi-charge at the behest of the private contractor. Later police issued arrest warrants against 35 workers and detained 6 others.
President of All Central Council for Trade Union (AICCTU), O P Sanyal has condemned the police violence against the workers. He alleged that the police was unnecessarily interfering in the labour issues, which involved payment of risk and tunnel allowance to the workers engaged by the private contractor.
Sanyal said that the Central Labour Commissioner was not implementing the provisions of wages to labour in the risky construction work on the site at Dugga. He said that the issue will be raised at the national level for payment of genuine wages to the workers in Reasi district.
The AICCTU will be sending a team of trade union leaders to site for resolution of the issue in the next few days.