Children of JKSRTC employees joins agitation

Srinagar, Feb 2 (UNI) The children of Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) employees set ablaze their books and school bags in support of their parents who are agitating against non payment of salaries for the past four months.

Hundreds of employees, along with their children, assembled at the headquarters of the SRTC at Moulana Azad Road near here to protest against the government's failure to release their salaries.

Raising slogans against the SRTC management, the agitated employees said they are without wages for the past four months.

They said advisor to the Chief Minister had recently assured the SRTC employees that he will take up the matter with the authorities concerned and get their wages released.

''We are facing starvation as we have nothing to eat as shopkeepers have now refused to give essential commodities,'' the employees said.

Later, children of the employees set ablaze their school bags and books. ''We have nothing to eat, how can our parents pay school fees and other expenditure,'' the children said.

General Secretary of the SRTC employees coordination committee said they have presented a 13- point demand to the government, which included release of wages, payment of cost of living from 2006, appointment of children of the deceased employees under SRO-43 and appointment of a commission to probe into alleged scandals in the corporation.

UNI BAS SBC HT1510