Dozens of labourers working with Border Road Organisation (BRO) on the Bhaderwah-Basholi highway staged a demonstration, here in Bhaderwah on Friday and accused the police of “harassing” them.
Alleging harassment by Station House Officer, Bhaderwah, theworkers suspended work and started a protest march from Nalthi village toBhaderwah town. They also raised slogans against SHO Bhaderwah and sought thedistrict administration’s intervention while holding a sit-in at New Bus StandKotli.
Nearly 100 agitated workers of 114 RCC of BRO, who board BROvehicles early in the morning everyday to reach to their respective work siteson the 80 km stretch from Basti to Sarthal on the under-constructionBhaderwah-Basholi highway, claimed that the SHO “snatched the keys of theirvehicles”.
“We have beenboarding BRO vehicles every morning and like other parts of the state, thearrangement is going on since the past two decades without any hindrance fromany quarter. What we are unable to fathom is the reason behind the SHO tryingto harass us,” Tariq Zargar, a worker, said.
“We have been pushed to the corner as the police officer’saction prompted the BRO officials to stop boarding poor workers in theirvehicles. We have also been asked to arrange our own transport or leave the jobby the higher ups,” Zargar claimed.
“As of now, public transport does not ply on the road andunder the given circumstances the police action will leave us jobless. Ourappeal to the authorities is to reach at a permanent solution or we will becompelled to intensify our protest against the SHO Bhaderwah,” anotherprotesting worker, Sajjad Ahmed, said.
Later, Sarpanch Sartingal, Irshad Lawai, and other peoplealso joined the protesting workers.
They also met the Tehsildar Zeeshan Tahir, who assured thata meeting with the concerned police officer and BRO authorities would be calledin to settle the issue.
On being contacted Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Aadil Rishu,said, “A police team led by SHO Bhaderwah were on traffic duty at Nalthi onBhaderwah-Basholi Road. During checking, a one ton 407 vehicle and an open halfbody truck of Beacon were seen coming downhill towards Bhaderwah town. In boththe vehicles, workers were found to be hanging, thereby putting their life atrisk. Both the drivers were asked to show valid papers, which they failed to.”
“Accordingly, both these vehicles were taken into custodyand an FIR was registered. Now they are staging all the drama on the behest ofOC 114 RCC to hide their follies,” the SDPO said.