Fireworks wholesalers and retailers who reached the Dehradun Collectorate on Friday to submit application forms for procuring license for setting up shops for selling crackers in the demarcated areas had to return back empty handed due to ongoing indefinite strike of Collectorate employees on the call of Uttarakhand Ministerial Collectorate Employees’ Union.
It should be mentioned here that ADM (Administration) Jharna Kamthan had on Thursday directed the district officers to start providing application forms for license to set up shops in demarcated areas for sale of firecrackers during Deepawali and receive filled forms from the applicants from Friday. Applicants can submit the forms by October 16, 5 pm.
On Friday, class IV employees were present at the Collectorate but they did not receive the forms from the applicants as department’s stamp was kept by the Collectorate employees who were protesting in support of their pending demands.large number of fireworks dealers had reached the Collectorate to submit application forms but no official was present in the office to receive the forms.
A visitor who reached the Collectorate for submitting forms said that the department officers had not accepted the form. “Now I have to visit the office next day to submit the form but I am not sure whether department officials will accept it on Saturday,”he added.According to him, the district administration demarcated the areas for selling the firecrackers but past year’s experience revealed that administration had not provided basic amenities like power and drinking water in the identified areas.
Other works in the Collectorate have also been paralysed as in stead of sitting at their respective designated posts, the employees reached the protest site and shouted anti-Government slogans. Visitors who reached the Collectorate for various works like issuance of certificates, gun licenses and the like had to return empty- handed with the employees striking work.
Uttarakhand Ministerial Collectorate Employees’ Union member Rajendra Kumar said that despite written assurances by the State Government regarding redressal of their pending demands, their concerns are yet to be redressed. The demands include 10 percent seats of Nayab Tehsildar being reserved for ministerial employees and re-jigging the Collectorate, among others.