Water canons and lathicharge used to disperse agitating midwives

Patna, Nov 30 (UNI) Police today resorted to lathicharge and used water canons to disperse thousands of agitating midwives, who were demanding due payment of salary and regularisation of their services.

Official sources said here that about 5,000 midwives took out a procession in the state capital this morning, blocking the main Dakbunglow road. As a result, traffic was totally paralysed in Patna.

The sources said that the agitating midwives were "adamant" on meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to apprise him of their demands and plights.

''The agitating midwives did not budge even an inch and began violent protests, following which the police resorted to lathicharge and used water canons to disperse them,'' the sources said.

The sources said that some of the agitating women sustained minor injuries and were being treated at a local hospital.

The agitators had been detained and were being kept at the BMP headquarter. The traffic in the state capital became normal following intervention of the administration.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the agitators called on the representatives of the government. However, the meeting was still inconclusive.

The sources said that soon after coming to power, Mr Kumar had assured midwives to regularise the services. However, since their expectations had not been met, they took to the streets to demand their salary that they had been deprived of for the last one year.

UNI