The Diplomat Desk
Jammu :TDD- A demonstration and Secretariat Gherao rally was organized by the VRS Union Jammu at Maharaja Hari Singh Park under the leadership of Union President Dev Raj Bali. The protestors strongly criticized the Finance Department and Transport Higher Authority for unnecessarily delaying the release of due payments despite having available funds. The union expressed bewilderment over the delayed payments, noting that all bills had been prepared by the RTC and forwarded to the Civil Secretariat.
In a tragic development, the union reported that 75 VRS/GHS and retired employees of JKRTC have lost their lives during this prolonged struggle, unable to afford proper medical treatment due to lack of funds. The protesters highlighted that both they and their families are facing severe hardships without pension or alternative income sources, being entirely dependent on these delayed payments.
The union has appealed to Chief Minister Omer Abdullah and Lt. Governor of J&K UT to intervene in the matter. Their demands include payment of COLA arrears from 1999 to December 31, 2005, 6th Pay Commission arrears from January 1, 2006, to March 2012, and DA arrears from April 2012 to March 2021.Notable attendees at the demonstration included Sat Bhushan Singh, Surinder Singh, Balwinder Singh, Ramesh Bhau, Ram Paul, Shiv Kumar, and other union members.TDD
