Karnah, May 07 (KNS): For last more than 40 years, hundreds of local laborers were engaged by beacon department (109 RCC GREF) to carry on repair, construction and macadamization work on Kupwara Tangdar highway.
A deputation of laborers from Chowkibal, Tumna, Marsari, Dringyari, Nechian and Hajinar villages told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that their means of income for round the years depend upon their engagement as laborers on the highway 109 RCC.
However, according to the KNS correspondent Peerzada Sayeed, they said that this year, the beacon has imported hundreds of laborers from Bihar state and disengaged all the local laborers belonging to above Karnah villages.
They said that during heavy snowfall in the winter, they worked on the higher altitudes by putting their lives on risk. “Dozens of laborers (local) lost their lives while performing their duties. Beacon department has failed to provide any ex-gratia or relief in favor of the dependants,” they said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The laborers deputation said that they have no other sources of income to make their both ends meet. “Their disengagement shall cause unavailable suffering to the local laborers and their poor families. All the inhabitants live a life below the poverty line, their future has become dark,” they said as per the KNS correspondent.
However, Officer Commanding 109 RCC (GREF) and Chief Engineer concerned didn’t take the phone calls to have comment over the issue.
The disengaged local laborers have appealed the authorities not to engage imported laborers from Bihar and other states. “We will stage protest and won’t allow outside labourers to work on the road from Chowkibal to Tangdar in case our demands won’t meet for which 109 RCC shall be held responsible,” the labourers threatened. (KNS)