Srinagar, Sept 29: The agitating employees of the Information department today called off their pen down strike and resumed work after Director of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Rahul Pandey revoked the ‘arbitrary’ salary halt orders.
The Director of Information on Tuesday had issued the orders of withholding salaries, of at least 52 employees for unknown reasons. Terming the orders as unjustified, employees of Directorate office, Divisional and district offices of Jammu and Kashmir had called for a pen-down strike to protest the arbitrary decision.
Amid ‘we want justice slogans’ agitating employees boycotted their work and assembled at the lawns of Directorate of Information Office Srinagar.
Meanwhile, in a move to reach out to the protesting employees and to pacify them, the Joint Director of Information, Kashmir, Inam-ul-Haq Siddiqui read out the revocation order in front of them and assured that all their genuine issues shall be resolved, besides, the burning issue of DPC shall also be convened within a week’s time.
He also said that henceforth he himself shall certify the attendance of employees and later forward it to the Director Information. After his assurances, the employees of the Information department called off the strike and resumed their work in their respective units and sections.
The Joint Director also assured that all other genuine demands of employees shall be addressed on priority. The demands raised by the employees include Shifting of Divisional Office Kashmir to City Centre Lal Chowk, incentives for overtime work, exemption of Bio-metric for field staff, especially Reporters of PR Section, Photo Unit , Cultural unit Srinagar and Field Publicity Unit besides vehicle facility to DICs.
Meanwhile, the employees have expressed gratitude to the Director of Information Rahul Pandey for his kind intervention into the matter and for resolving the same forthwith. The employees said that they are hopeful that the Director of Information Rahul Pandey will resolve all the pending issues of employees including clearance of DPC.
They also thanked the Joint Director of Information Kashmir, Inam-ul-Haq Siddiqui for his special efforts in resolving the issue amicably, besides assuring the employees of convening the DPC within the shortest possible time.
Bilal Ahmad Rather, Vice-President, JK Information Non-Gazetted Employees Union, thanked Director of Information Rahul Pandey, Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal, and Joint Director Information Inam-ul-Haq Siddiqui Kashmir for their prompt intervention to get the issue resolved amicably.
He also thanked all employees of the Directorate office, Divisional and District offices of Jammu and Kashmir for their concerted efforts and dedication to make the protest against the stopping of salaries of employees of various units, divisions successful and get the orders rescinded
