Jammu and Kashmir police today foiled a protest march by government employees here in support of their demands including enhancement of their retirement age from 58 to 60 years and regularisation of daily-wage and casual workers.
Hundreds of government employees under the aegis of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), assembled at Exhibition Crossing here and tried to march towards the Civil Secretariat, but were stopped by police who asked them to disperse peacefully, official sources said.
The protesters, however, refused to pay heed and continued to march, forcing the police to resort to lathicharge and use water cannons against them, they said.
Dozens of employees were detained, the sources said, adding however, there were no reports of anyone getting injured.
Work in all government offices was affected due to the strike called by both factions of EJAC to press for their demands, which include enhancement of the retirement age by two years and removal of pay anomalies in different cadres of the state services, as well as regularisation of daily wage and casual workers.
Meanwhile, a deputation of another faction of EJAC led by its president Ajaz Ahmad Khan called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and discussed various matters relating to the welfare of employees.
Khan sought the Chief Minister's intervention in getting the issues redressed as early as possible.
Omar told the deputation that his government has always been employee-friendly and would continue to exercise this gesture towards them in future.
He said all the genuine demands of the employees are being given due consideration and maximum of these have been accommodated while rest are under examination and consideration.
