Daily wagers are facing problems due to alleged police harassment and violence against labourers at Jakhan Chowk in Dehradun. “We will stage a protest if no action is taken soon,” said Secretary of Uttarakhand Nav Nirman Mazdoor Sangh (UNNMS) Trepan Singh Chauhan.
Chauhan said that on December 5 State labour and Employment Minister Harish Chandra Durgapal had distributed tool kits to 35 workers and assured them that proper facilities and security will be provided to the labourers.
He said that on December 6 workers were told that they could not stand at Jakhan Chowk. “labourers have been assembling at Jakhan Chowk every morning to look for work for past 20 years and now police is forcing them that they can’t use this place,” said Chauhan.
“We also talked to the labour and Employment Minister regarding this problem and have also submitted a written letter in SSP’s office. No complaint is lodged against any worker but according to the police they are following the order of the SSP,” said Chauhan.
He also said that more than 300 daily wagers gathered at Jakhan Chowk and by evicting them from this site the police is depriving them of employment opportunities.
If Jakhan Chowk is not the right place for daily wagers then the authorities should designate some other place where daily wagers can seek work. Police should protect them in stead of harassing them, said Chauhan while adding that the workers will resort to protest if the authorities maintain their present stance.
UNNMS member Rajendra Shah alleged that for the last four days police is harassing daily wagers standing at Jakhan Chowk.
“No compliant is lodged against any labourer in the police station and we don’t have any idea as to why police is evicting the labourers from this place without any reason,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that according to the UNNMS, labourers have been congregating at Rispana bridge, lalpul, Jakhan Chowk and Clock Tower every morning to look for work for the past many years but so far no one has lodged a police complaint against them.
The labourers reside in Doon and most of them are also voters.
The authorities have not designated any place in town where daily wagers can wait for work and in the places where they gather, contractors, building owners and Government agency employees hire them for various tasks. There are about 25,000 daily wage labourers in Dehradun and they make a significant
contribution to the local economy, according to the UNNMS.