Jammu, Feb 2, KNT: Assembly employees on Monday staged a protest within the Jammu Assembly premises against the Officer on Special Duty to the Speaker, alleging misbehaviour with a senior employee during an interaction related to long-pending service issues.
Scores of Assembly employees assembled inside the premises and raised slogans against the OSD to the Speaker, alleging that the conduct shown towards a senior staff member was unacceptable and could not be tolerated.
The protesting employees said that for the past 15 years, not a single Assembly employee has been promoted, leading to widespread resentment among the staff. They alleged that when the issue of stagnation and promotions was raised with the OSD, he misbehaved with a senior employee instead of addressing the grievance.
“This kind of behaviour towards a senior employee is humiliating and unacceptable,” the protesters said, adding that employees have been patiently waiting for resolution of their issues for over a decade.
The protest continued for several hours, affecting normal functioning within the Assembly premises. Employees said they would continue their agitation until accountability was fixed and assurances were given regarding their long-pending demands.
Later, the Speaker intervened and called representatives of the protesting employees to his office. According to employees, the Speaker assured them that their grievances would be looked into and appropriate steps would be taken to address their concerns.
Following the assurance, the protest was called off. Employees, however, said they would closely monitor follow-up action on the commitments made to them.[KNT]
