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Jammu: Growing public resentment against what people describe as anti-people policies and mounting economic hardships has triggered a series of protests across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as workers, employees and residents took to the streets over meagre remuneration, years-long wage delays, lack of regularisation and sharply increased electricity bills.<\/p>\n
The protests highlight deepening frustration among economically vulnerable sections of society, who accuse the authorities of repeatedly ignoring their genuine grievances despite assurances and representations. The growing cost of living, coupled with insecure employment and rising utility expenses, has further aggravated hardships for working families and daily wagers.<\/p>\n
In Jammu, a large number of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers staged a strong protest near the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Dogra Chowk, demanding an increase in their meagre remuneration and payment of pending incentives. The protesting workers said they have been performing vital healthcare duties at the grassroots level but continue to receive inadequate financial support. They demanded a fixed monthly incentive of Rs 3,500, parity with the Rs 6,000 incentive paid to ASHA workers in Madhya Pradesh, paid leave, social security benefits and regularisation of their services.<\/p>\n
The ASHA workers maintained that despite their crucial role in supporting public healthcare, they have been deprived of adequate remuneration and basic employment protections. They called for immediate intervention by the authorities to address their long-pending demands and provide them with dignified working conditions.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jal Shakti Public Health Engineering (PHE) workers and daily wagers held a protest in Udhampur over the non-payment of wages for several years. The workers said they have been performing their duties despite prolonged financial uncertainty but have not received their dues for around six years. They demanded immediate release of pending wages, regularisation of their services and implementation of minimum wage provisions.<\/p>\n
The protesters said the prolonged withholding of wages has pushed many workers and their families into severe financial difficulties. They warned that continued neglect of their demands would further deepen resentment among employees who depend on their earnings for basic household needs.<\/p>\n
In Kathua, residents of Nakkia Nadolia also took to the streets to protest against exorbitant electricity bills. The residents expressed strong opposition to sharply increased power charges and smart metering, saying the rising electricity burden was particularly affecting poor families and daily-wage earners.<\/p>\n
The protesters said many households were already struggling to meet basic expenses and that inflated electricity bills had added to their financial hardships. They demanded that the authorities review the increased charges, address discrepancies in billing and provide relief to economically weaker sections.<\/p>\n
The protests, involving workers, employees and ordinary residents, underscore growing dissatisfaction with policies that people say are adding to their economic burdens while their long-pending grievances remain unresolved. The continued protests also reflect widening concern over livelihood insecurity, inadequate social protection and the rising cost of essential services in IIOJK. K<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jammu: Growing public resentment against what people describe as anti-people policies and mounting economic hardships has triggered a series of protests across Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as workers, employees and residents took to the streets over meagre remuneration, years-long wage delays, lack of regularisation and sharply increased electricity bills. The protests highlight deepening …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":212368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-212366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir","tag-top-story"],"yoast_head":"\n